CONCUSSIONS
Concussions have become a major talking point in recent years, not just among the medical community, but as a part of the mainstream news, within the sports industry, and with parents. An estimated 1.6-3.8 million sports and recreation-related concussions occur in the United States each year. Reportedly, 23% of adults and 20% of teens in the United States said that they have had a concussion, and about 75% of adults and teens have sought medical attention. These are staggering statistics!
Physio PS can drastically alter the outcomes of a person’s head injury. The Physio PS monitor can detect the slightest concussion, enabling the diagnosis without the presence of the telltale symptoms.
Diagnosing a concussion is not as clear-cut as one may imagine. “We still don’t have a gold standard definition [for concussions]. Many of the symptoms of concussion, out of the context of being hit in the head, are quite common”, according to Dr. Christopher Giza, director of the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT program.
Concussions are brain injuries caused by a blow to the head or a force that causes the brain to move quickly within the skull. The symptoms can include a loss of consciousness, headache, nausea and vomiting, sensitivity to light or sound, irritability, muddled thinking, and memory problems. “Many of the symptoms associated with concussions are subjective,” says Giza, who also co-authored the American Academy of Neurology’s guideline on sports and concussions. Additionally, based on CDC reports, only between 4% and 5% of go to the emergency room for head injuries, meaning most people take the “walk it off” or “tough it out” approach to their head injuries. While most people do not suffer from long-term impacts from a concussion, between 10% and 20% may experience symptoms like depression, headaches or difficulty concentrating, and sleep problems for an extended period of time.
