Playing sports allows children to stay active, learn the value of teamwork and form friendships. However, participating in contact sports such as football, soccer or hockey also puts young athletes at an increased risk for concussions. This type of mild traumatic brain injury can affect a child’s concentration and memory, and in cases where a young athlete sustains a second concussion before healing from the first one, it can lead to more severe, longer lasting side effects. With this in mind, it’s important to familiarize yourself with child concussion warning signs and know what actions to take if your young one exhibits some or all of these symptoms after hitting his/her head.
Child Concussion Warning Signs
Here are some common child concussion warning signs to look out for:
- – Blurry or double vision
- – Difficulty concentrating
- – Drowsiness
- – Nausea and/or vomiting
- – Headaches
- – Dizziness and/or trouble balancing
- – Confusion
- – Trouble remembering things
- – Changes in mood and/or behavior
- – Difficulty sleeping
- – Sensitivity to light and/or sound
Keep in mind that the symptoms of a concussion don’t always show up right away; in fact, it’s not uncommon for it to take hours or even days for child concussion warning signs to develop. Therefore, it’s important to closely monitor your child’s behavior in the days following a hit to the head.
If your child begins to act strangely or reports that he or she is experiencing one or more of these symptoms after receiving a blow to the head, you should make an appointment with a concussion specialist as soon as possible. This medical professional will be able to evaluate your young athlete, provide personalized concussion treatment if needed and confirm when your child is fully healed and can safely return to sports.
Rely on Dr. Gill for Your Child’s Concussion Care
If you notice child concussion warning signs in your young athlete, you can trust Dr. Timothy Gill to provide quality care. With certification from the American Board of Family Medicine and many years of experience in treating concussions and other types of sports injuries, Dr. Gill will use cutting-edge methods to diagnose your child and, if he/she has indeed sustained a concussion, offer individualized treatment.
If you or your child have a concussion over the weekend and want to be evaluated on Monday, Dr. Gill holds many appointments open on Mondays to see concussion patients. To find out more or to schedule an appointment, please call our office at 610-375-4949. We look forward to helping your child recover and get back to living a normal life as quickly as possible.
