National Concussion Awareness Day

Is it just a bump on the head right? It’s all part of the game and it’s not like its bleeding! You feel fine! And weren’t you wearing a helmet? Or it was just grassed right? How hard could the ground really be?

How much damage can a soccer ball really do? It’s round and full of air! The truth of the matter is that a concussion can be a serious issue, and they tend to happen during sports more than any other time. National Concussion Awareness Day reminds you to learn the signs, and take them seriously. Concussions are serious business!

History of National Concussion Awareness Day

Concussions stand out as the single most common type of traumatic brain injury and is known by many names in the medical industry. None of them sound good, mild brain injury, mild traumatic brain injury, minor head trauma, not a thing any of us want to see listed on our medical report.

Our brains, after all, are us. Treatment is simple enough, you just have to chill out and rest both your body and your mind, which means no video games, no texting, and no school work. No, this isn’t a good way to get out of taking that final, Concussions can have some serious repercussions.

So National Concussion Awareness Day is a chance to help yourself and others by learning how to identify the signs of a concussion and what to do in the event that someone you know sustains one, or you suspect they may have. As mentioned above, concussions are particularly common amongst those who engage in active sports, especially American Football and Boxing.

How to celebrate National Concussion Awareness Day

Celebrating National Concussion Awareness Day starts with education about how to identify them in the wake of an event that may have caused them. Your checklist is pretty straightforward: Does the subject have a headache? Did they temporary lose consciousness?

Are they confused or are they processing information slowly? Do they remember what happened? Are they seeing stars or feeling dizzy? Are their ears ringing? Nausea or vomiting? How about their speech, are they speaking clearly or is there a bit of a slur?

These will be your immediate signs, and if any of them are present, get a professional on the field to check on them.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much one can do in the way of First Aid for a concussion, have them sit or lay down and otherwise remain still, and if they lost consciousness for even a moment contact a medical professional.

Basically, it’s a checklist of “Is this going on? Do they have a concussion? Yes? Maybe? Medical professional.” National Concussion Awareness Day is your alert to take care of your brain, and to teach others how to watch out for each other!