It’s important for coaches to be able to recognize the symptoms of a concussion (also known as a “mild traumatic brain injury”). There are some telltale symptoms of a concussion that you can recognize in others, even if they’re claiming to be “fine.”
One of the biggest risks for athletes who have sustained a concussion is something called second-impact syndrome, or SIS. This is when someone gets a second head injury within a few weeks of the first, and it can result in serious complications such as brain swelling, shifting, and possibly death.
Dr. Flanagan is the chair of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at NYU Langone Health. He specializes in brain injury rehabilitation.
References
Bey, T., et al. (2009). Second impact syndrome. The Western Journal of Emergency Medicine.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). A fact sheet for high school coaches.
Evans, R.W., et al. (2022). Acute mild traumatic brain injury (concussion) in adults. UpToDate.
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