“So, what is the rule for when you should go back in the game if you have or think you might have a concussion?” —Grant, 15 Upper East Side
Adolescent concussion is a scary issue that affects many hundreds of thousands of teen athletes each year. The key difference between adolescent and adult concussion is that unlike almost any other injury in sport, concussion seems to heal slower in adolescent athletes as compared to adults.
When I take care of a teenager with a concussion, I’m always very careful to let them and their parents know that we need to wait for all of the post-concussive symptoms, such as headache, dizziness, and light sensitivity, resolve before putting them back in the game.
These days, we are even using computerized testing to test kids’ brain function after a concussion to make sure they are ready to go back in.The short of it is that concussion is a serious injury that we take very seriously, especially in teens. If you or your friends have had a hit in the head and are having some of the problems I described, please talk to your parents or doctor before getting back into the game.
Bio:
Jordan D. Metzl, MD (www.DrJordanMetzl.com) is a nationally
recognized sports medicine physician at Hospital for Special Surgery,
the author of The Young Athlete, and the co-founder of The Sports
Medicine Institute for Young Athletes.
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