For anyone who participates in sports, particularly children and younger adults, preventing risks of concussion is a vital task. Concussions can arise based on forceful impact to the head or neck area, and there are a few tools athletes use to help prevent their occurrence or severity — and a quality mouthguard is one of these.
To be clear, a mouthguard on its own does not eliminate the possibility of a concussion taking place while playing sports, especially those that involve regular contact or impact between players. However, a mouthguard will often play a role in helping cushion the impact that creates a concussion, sometimes helping limit its symptoms and also helping prevent related concerns, such as biting the tongue, cutting the cheeks or others. Here are some of the signs and symptoms that an athlete may have suffered a concussion, plus what should be done in each of these cases.
General Concussion Signs and Symptoms
In some cases, the most likely sign of a concussion during athletics will be obvious: The athlete will be hit in in the head, sometimes quite hard. However, there are many cases where concussions can take place in ways that observers barely spot or don’t even notice at all — and for this reason, being able to spot basic signs is important, especially if your child plays sports.
Some possible signs of general concussions include:
- The athlete can’t recall events directly prior to or after the impact that caused the concussion
- The athlete displays confusion, responds slowly or has trouble concentrating
- The athlete seems dazed or stupor/is in a fog
- The athlete moves clumsily, is off balance or seems unsteady on his feet
- The athlete complains of ringing in the ears (tinnitus) or other unusual sounds or noises
- The athlete asks questions repeatedly
- The athlete displays delayed responses to questions or is confused about the rules of the game
There are other signs that can arise, but if there are two or more of these present in an athlete, it is likely a concussion took place. As is also said often, “When in doubt, sit them out.” While this may not always be practical or desired, one should err on the side of caution.
In fact, an athlete exhibiting even one of these signs may still have suffered a concussion. If that’s the case, it is best for them to undergo medical evaluation as soon as reasonably possible. If this is your child, you can force them to sit out even if they protest; if it’s a friend or adult family member, you can only do your best to strongly suggest that they take it easy.
Severe Concussion Signs and Symptoms
In other cases, an athlete may experience a severe concussion that shows similarly intense symptoms, including:
- Major headache or pressure in the head that will not go away
- Nausea, vomiting or issues with dizziness and blurry vision
- Balance issues or problems walking
- Concentration or memory issues
- Confusion when it comes to people, places and events
- Loss of consciousness for a few seconds or minutes (if this is the case, it should be treated as a severe concussion regardless)
If you spot any of these signs in anyone, whether it’s a child or an adult, they should be immediately removed from the playing area and taken to the closest medical facility. If it’s a child, this will most likely be an emergency department or urgent care center; for adults, it may depend on location and severity of the injury.
Proper Mouthguard Protection
As we noted above, a mouthguard cannot fully eliminate the risks of a concussion in an athlete. However, using the proper mouthguard can absolutely lower these risks and also provide some extra benefits, such as cushioning for heavy impacts, protection from cutting or chewing the inside of the mouth and more.
Follow these tips to ensure concussions aren’t a significant concern for you or any other athlete in your life.
