Blog Post

Concussions, second impact syndrome, etc.

DISCLAIMER: This IS NOT a thread about whether or not Asterisks should have let James ride, whether or not he had a concussion, or such related hoopla. If you wish to discuss that, there is a search button up to the top right of your screen.





This is an educational thread with concussion and secondary impact syndrome information; which is important if you ride, or know people who ride! Since James' accident, it has become apparent from reading various forums and discussions with friends, that many people are not properly informed on concussions and second impact syndrome. In fact, according to the American College of Sports Medicine, there are two-million sports related concussions in the United States each year, and an estimated 85% of those go unrecognized. This statistic conveys that the inability to recognize concussion symptoms is not just a motocross epidemic.



There is a big difference between a professional athlete deciding to ride after a blow to the head (who is paid millions millions to win championships), and your average weekend warrior who has nothing to gain, but everything to lose.



Even a mild impact without any loss of consciousness can become extremely dangerous due to Second Impact Syndrome. These grade-one concussions often go unnoticed in sports, and are sometimes the most difficult to recognize. The danger in these types of concussions is that if a second blow to the head occurs while the brain is still recovering from the first concussion (even weeks later), rapid swelling occurs, and once this starts, it is almost always irreversible. This rapid swelling can cause coma, long-term brain damage, or even death. If you suspect a friend has a concussion (who isn't about to line up on the gate at Loretta Lynns), do them a favor if they are trying to ride by draining their gas! Riding with a concussion is like riding without a helmet.



A Few Facts:



* Sports related concussions cause more deaths than any other sport related injury.

* loss of consciousness only occurs in 10% of concussions.

* An athlete who sustains a concussion is 4-6 times more likely to receive a second head injury.

* Nearly 90% of athletes that suffer a concussion experience Post-Traumatic Migraine, or other headaches. The presence and severity of headache symptoms are a good indicator of a head injury

* It takes longer for a child's brain to fully recover versus an adult (important for parents).















Summary: Motocross is very dangerous, duh! Buy a high quality helmet, duh! And if you suspect a concussion with yourself or a friend, get checked out by a professional, duh! Also, If you believe this information to be false, I highly encourage you to do your own research, because by doing that, you will educate yourself way more than by just reading a thread on VitalMX.
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