Bell Rung

He had his “bell rung” was a common expression to describe an athlete taking a blow to the head which often would follow with him staggering around and having to be helped off the field. If it was a football game you came to the sidelines where you might resemble someone who’s had way too much to drink. Teammates would laugh and slap you on your back and a coach might place an ammonia cap under your nose which would often stir you from a lethargic state. Usually you would return to the game a few minutes later because begging off would be a sign you were not very tough. That was 30, 40 and 50 years ago and what we didn’t know then was that athlete probably had suffered a concussion. Who knows how many of them had repeated instances of getting their “bell rung” which we now know were probably additional concussions. Some might have suffered later in life from a variety of problem that can be traced back to their teen age years.

Fortunately times have changed and we recognize concussions for what they are…blows to the head that are never insignificant. Football accounts for about 60% of the concussions suffered by high school males with soccer second. As for girls, soccer is by far the leading sport for what is also called a mild traumatic brain injury. There has been much attention paid of concussions in recent months, especially because of the number of high-profile football players knocked out of action by these blows to the head. This includes high school athletes who now must abide by new safety rules established by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Any athlete suffering a concussion must be symptom-free for 7 consecutive days before he or she can return to action and they must pass several tests to determine if they are ready to play again. What happened in the old days will not happen again and for that every parent should be happy.

Dr. Mark Meredith of Community Medical Center said regardless of age parents should always err on the side of caution when it comes to concussions. Symptoms can include headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, memory problems and mood swings and sometimes they don’t occur until days later. However if you think your child may have suffered a concussion they should immediately stop playing and seek medical attention. What is truly scary about this type of injury is once you suffer one you become much more likely to sustain a second and there are serious long-term consequences. Dr. Meredith will be a guest on tonight’s Saint Barnabas Healthcare High School Football Show which airs from 7-9pm on 105.7FM and 1310AM.