What is a concussion?

A concussion is an injury to the brain. It's usually caused by a blow to the head. Most of the time it doesn't involve a loss of consciousness.

What are the signs of a concussion?

Does medicine help?

The treatment for concussion is rest. If you have a headache, you can usually take acetaminophen (brand name: Tylenol). Always ask your doctor before you take any medicine if you've had a concussion.

What are some things that follow a Concussion?

When can the player return to sports?

A player cannot return to play until all symptoms are completely gone.  If this is does not happen, a second concussion can lead to death.

What are the risks of returning to play too early?

A player returning too early could suffer from "second impact syndrome," which may be fatal. This problem is caused by a loss of the automatic control of blood vessels to the brain. Never return to a sports activity until you are cleared by a doctor.

Are there any lasting effects to a concussion?

Most people get better after a concussion without any permanent damage. People have signs of concussion for weeks to months. Repeated concussions could cause permanent damage.  Several NFL quarterbacks including Steve Young from the San Francisco 49ers have made the decision to retire to avoid permanent injury from repeating concussions.

Grading of Concussions...

Concussions are graded by the presence and severity of amnesia or loss of consciousness.

Grade 1

• -brief period of confusion
• -no loss of consciousness
• -PTA lasting less than 30 minutes

Grade 2

• -period of unconsciousness (less than 5 minutes)
• -Retrograde Amnesia can last between 30 minutes and 24 hours
• -Player will be out for several days

Grade 3

• -profound loss of consciousness (5 minutes or more)
• -amnesia is more than 24 hours
• -this may require using a spine board, and using all spinal injury precautions