Concussions: An Overlooked Epidemic
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-09-12/concussions-overlooked-epidemic
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimates between two and four million people suffer from concussions every year. Brain injuries are vastly under-reported and diagnosis is difficult because the damage is invisible to brain scanners. Concussion victims often fail to link headaches, fatigue and memory loss to what seems like a minor injury. While most concussions are sports-related, a sizable number affect victims of car accidents or falls. The science and symptoms of brain injuries and why they’ve become an overlooked epidemic.
Guests
Linda Carroll
health writer for MSNBC.com and the science section of The New York Times
David Rosner
sports writer and former managing editor of a national magazine for neurology patients.
Dr. Gerard Gioia
director, Pediatric Neuropsychology Program at Children's National Medical Center; director of Safe Concussion Outcome, Recovery & Education (SCORE) Program
Jon Almquist
administrator, Athletic Training Program, Fairfax County Public Schools
Comments
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Hi Diane,
Anything special we should watch for in very young children beyond the general symptoms discussed?
Best, Dana
Are you aware of the helmets that detect concussions ( made by SIMBEX, and now owned by Riddell)are being used by some college football teams, but NFL has refused to use them for their players.
Is there a connection between head trauma/concussions and mental illness? An uncle has suffered from paranoid schitzophrenia since young adulthood and had multiple head trauma incidents as a child.
Now that you mention how the brain is floating around, I think all those "headers" I did in soccer from 1st grade through college must have not been good for me. And now I am teaching my son how to head the ball. Should I stop?!?!
Maybe I missed it at the very beginning, but they need to define "concussion" -- is the person "knocked out" . . . sometimes, always, etc.
Hello Diane,
Have your guests heard about the treatment for traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder using hyperbaric oxygen therapy at an atmospheric level of 1.5?
Do the chances of concussion increase with age. I am approaching 60 and play on a women's hockey team. Am I more prone to a concussion than some of the women half my age?
A sad comment: My 18 month old son fell off the cellar steps onto the concrete below. He was rushed to hospital and then follow-up to your facility in Washington when he stopped making verbal sounds and underwent intensive language learning training individually and in small group sessions for several years.
Today he has been in and out of Correctional facilities due to impulse control issues and bad decision making. All thru school years, problems persisted.
It's been a tough journey. He is now in his forties and is incarcerated.
Dianna
Hi Dianne - 6 wks ago, my son in law was stopped on I95 and rear ended by a moving van going 55 mph. He suffered both coup and contrecoup concussions as no air bags deployed when he was shoved into the car ahead of him. None of his physicians have ordered a neuro consult but he just doesn't seem 'right' to me. Does your guest feel this would be appropriate?
Diane,
It was mentioned that about a one week period was necessary for brain recovery from traumatic incidents. Does this same time period apply for other conditions, such as those that may result from temporary chemical imbalances/anxiety attacks?
Is it okay to fly commercially after a mild concussion? Thank you. Also, how soon can I return to running after a concussion?
My daughter plays in a very aggressive soccer league, and got slammed down a week ago. Her hip and sacroiliac were injured badly enough that she needed a trip to the ER and was on crutches for several days.
But the ER staff didn't check her for head trauma, and indeed she couldn't remember what happened to her or what she was doing at the time. Later she mentioned a bump on her head, and told me yesterday she had headaches and thought she might have a concussion. So SHE was aware of it, but the ER staff should probably be encouraged to inspect for concussion in the case of any physical injury involving impact or a fall.
I'm taking her in asap to get checked... this show is incredibly timely. Thank you!
My 16 year old daughter plays Lacrosse. Boys who play lacrosse wear helmets. Girls only wear eye goggles. My daughter got struck by a lacrosse stick and suffered a concussion. Girls are not allowed to wear helmets. It infuriates me that US Lacrosse is more worried about maintaining "tradition" rather than looking out for the safety of these ladies.
Dear Diane,
Our 11 yr old son recently sustained a significant concussion after being knocked unconscious in a soccer game. We immediately took him to the ER, despite not remembering much of the day and seeming mentally dull and nauseous - the physician told us that he wasn't going to use the "c" word in his diagnosis for fear of impacting his sport's career. I was somewhat dumb founded at the time and couldn't even comment.
After we returned home and received excellent care at a concussion clinic with psychomotor testing, cognitive and neuroexamination - he was given doctors notes excusing him from school and sports for at least two weeks. Communicating with the school on this issue was next to impossible, they continued to test him and give out massive amounts of homework, despite calls and meetings. It was a very frustrating experience. The school really need some help dealing with kids and concussions.
Hi Diane,
I had a pretty horrendous fall last year and 3 months, 3 hospitals and 3 surgeries later, they told me I had traumatic brain injury! It has been a really overwhelming, tremendously long recovery process. I am not medically released to drive or go back to work yet. Eek. I am glad that you are telling the public about head injury risks. I have lived in the same house for 19 years and probably done more than 1000 loads of laundry in this house without incident. . . until that day. I'm anxiously waiting for my life to feel "normal" again. A member of my family called a few minutes ago to let me know that you were talking about head injury. I've loved listening to your show for a long time!
Your guests' description of how a concussion occurs makes me think that concussions must be very frequent from bungee jumping. Is this indeed the case? Or does it require a more-sudden jarring shock?
I suffered 2 concussions in a series of 2 days at home while moving and had previously suffered concussions. I didn't think much of it, however they had caused balance issues, frequent migraines & other symptoms. An astute physical therapy specialist noticed & put it together. I was later diagnosed with concussion syndrome. It took a long time to recover and required specialized therapy to improve. I am an RN & in my late 30s.
--Brian
I am concerned about the head balls my daughter does in every college soccer game she plays in. Has there been any research regarding them? Does it help to wear the new headbands that are suppose to help absorb some of the impact?
I had multiple concussions as a child - my parents became good at diagnosing them! In particular I had one concussion where while I initially showed no symptoms, later that evening I was unconscious on my feet and my eyes were moving independently - I'm wondering how important the degree of injury is, and if there's any way to correlate childhood injury to adult (I'm now 48) mental performance?
In 2007 I had a cycling accident where i was knocked out and life flighted to a local trauma center, they said my helmet saved my life. Body scans at the time appeared good, but I recall at my one month follow up being questioned by the doctor and telling him I felt something was different about me but could not pinpoint it, now four years later I know something is different.
Many of the sources of head trauma have been with us for years - if it just that we're better at diagnosing it, or is there some other factor that contributes to the upswing in attention to this issue?
Arnica is an herb.
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/arnica-000222.htm
Arnica (Arnica montana) has been used for medicinal purposes since the 1500s and remains popular today. Applied topically as a cream, ointment, liniment, salve, or tincture, Europeans and Native Americans have used arnica to soothe muscle aches, reduce inflammation, and heal wounds. It is often the first remedy used for injuries such as sprains and bruises. Arnica in herbal form is primarily restricted to topical (external) use because it can cause serious side effects when taken internally. Arnica is often used in homeopathy, and should be taken internally only in the extremely diluted form common to homeopathic remedies. If you have any question about whether you have the herbal or homeopathic form of arnica, talk to your doctor before taking it.
Hi Diane,
Much good discussion about diagnosing and treating concussions. How about what can be done to prevent the first concussion ? I am a soccer parent and administrator of a large soccer association. My daughter has had three concussions (2 soccer, 1 field hockey) and I will not let he onto the field without protective headgear. I also understand that females are more concussion-prone due to less upper-body strangth so my daughter is on an strength program. Some coaches require and some encourage their players to use headgear. Should leagues/associations mandate their use for concussion prevention ? The first concussion is the greatest predictor of the subsequent concussions. What can we do to prevent the first one ?
Arnica is a homeopathic remedy available as a sugar pellet or topical cream.
Has the CDC identified any issues for young children with practicing "head bumps" in soccer?
Hi Diane -
I play softball, currently in an over-40 women's softball league. In the past 10 years, I have been hit in the head three times - twice while pitching. After my first head injury, the ER doctor didn't even order a CT because I didn't lose consciousness.
I would like to know what tests your guests think that any person who has a head injury should have when they are treated.
Thanks.
Arnica is actually a fairly well-known homeopathic remedy. Just because you haven't heard of it doesn't mean you should sound so skeptical about it.
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/arnica-000222.htm
This ties directly in with the Social Security issue of the previous show.
When a child gets diagnosed with a brain injury there is a great chance they will be able to qualify for SSI - a federal welfare check millions of children diagnosed with many types of diseases are able to bring in income for the family - as well as qualify for medicaide. . .
PLEASE STOP BLAMING TEACHERS FOR NOT DIAGNOSING A CHILD'S CONCUSSION!!! Yes, teachers can help identify if a child is having difficulty in school and to provide accommodations in the classroom. This is and should be however, a health care professionals responsibility to diagnose. Teachers are not and should not be trained to diagnose whether or not a child has suffered a concussion. The school administrator should document an injury, contact the parent, then the parent should take the child to the doctor. If your child continues to have cognitive difficulty the parent should take the child to the doctor, right???
Shame on these physicians for not knowing about ARNICA, it is a herbal remedy for swelling that has been around for hundreds of years.
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/arnica-000222.htm