Six concussion myths

A horror run of concussions has left the talented 29-year-old considering his options for the future. Image by Getty Images.

By David Schipper

Myth 1: Fall asleep with a concussion and you might die.
Not so, says Dr David Hovda, a professor of neurosurgery and director of the UCLA brain-injury research center. After trauma occurs, it's important to watch for the signs of a life-threatening brain injury: double vision, dizziness, and nausea or vomiting. "But you'll wake up if you start to vomit," says Dr Hovda. If these symptoms arise, find a doctor immediately.

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Myth 2: Once your head clears, it's safe to go back in the game.
Don't even consider it. On average, it takes about two weeks after symptoms stop for the brain to recover completely and begin operating at full capacity again, says Dr Hovda. Another trauma during this period could cause permanent brain damage.

Myth 3: If your CAT scan is clean, you're in the clear.
Since concussion damage occurs at a cellular level, a CAT scan doesn't pick up the changes, says Dr Mark Lovell, a member of the NFL's concussion committee and director of the University of Pittsburgh sports-medicine concussion program. But don't skip the scan, he says—it'll reveal any bleeding or swelling.

Myth 4: A grade-1 concussion is no big deal.
There's no such thing as a grade-1 concussion—not anymore. The 1-to-3 scale, from mild to traumatic, went out the window a decade ago. "We found that a person with a mild concussion has the same memory loss as someone who's knocked unconscious," says Lovell. "All concussions are considered mild traumatic brain injuries," adds Dr Hovda. "And there's nothing mild about a mild traumatic brain injury."

Myth 5: Concussions can cause headaches for years.
"There is no scientific data to suggest that if you had a single concussion, say, two years ago, you are more prone to headaches now," says Dr Hovda. With multiple concussions, of course, it's a different story.

Myth 6: Heading a soccer ball can cause a concussion.
After exhaustive study, scientists at the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies found that the ball-to-head impact is not powerful enough to cause a concussion. But a 2011 Albert Einstein College of Medicine study did find a correlation between frequent heading—more than 1,100 times per year—and the loss of white matter in the brain, even in players who'd never had a concussion. That study was small, and the research continues.

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