Viva Vitality: Heads up! Recognizing, preventing and treating concussions

By Laura Lukye on March 14, 2025.

With warmer weather around the corner, kids will be excited to start their spring and summer sports. And when kids play sports – especially contact sports like football, soccer and lacrosse – they are at increased risk for concussions and other serious injuries. But it doesn’t have to be a contact sport to get a concussion.

As parents, coaches and educators, we need to understand the signs, symptoms and impact of a concussion, and know when it’s okay for athletes to return to play after a concussion.

Athletes sometimes joke about “getting your bell rung,” or feeling a “stinger” after taking a hit during sports. However, adolescent concussions are common and can have serious consequences. We can’t tell an athlete to “walk it off.” We need to be able to recognize the signs and take the necessary steps to help our athletes.

So, what is a concussion? Concussion is a brain injury. Any blow to the head, face and neck, or to the body that causes a sudden shaking or jarring of the brain inside the skull, may cause a concussion. A concussion can result from any number of activities including receiving a check in hockey, falling from a jungle gym, being in a motor vehicle collision or slipping on an icy sidewalk. You do not need to lose consciousness to have had a concussion.

Signs and symptoms of a concussion include headache, nausea or vomiting, dizziness, blurred vision, fatigue or low energy, sensitivity to light or noise, loss of consciousness, general confusion or fogginess, difficulty concentrating, difficulty remembering, and feeling more emotional, irritable, sad, nervous or anxious.

If you suspect a concussion, remove the athlete from the game and seek medical attention. Do not leave the athlete alone.

Concussions from contact sports is a growing concern amid accumulating evidence of how they can affect a person’s brain over time. We need to take the steps in understanding concussion basics. For more information on the signs and symptoms of concussions and understanding when your child can return to sport, visit Parachute Canada online at parachute.ca.

Laura Lukye is a health promotion facilitator with Alberta Health Services.

9
-8