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Recognizing Brain Injury Awareness Month

March has been designated as Brain Injury Awareness Month, so we will once again visit the topic. The truth is, anyone could suffer a traumatic brain injury — as the result of a car accident, fall, workplace accident or sports collision — so it’s important to raise awareness.

No matter what the cause of the accident may be, brain injuries can leave lasting effects on a person. Sometimes symptoms of a brain injury are mild, resulting in a brief change of mental state or consciousness. Other times, symptoms are severe, leading to extended periods of unconsciousness, coma or even death.

Luckily, most people who suffer from traumatic brain injuries do recover. However, the symptoms can last for weeks or months after the injury. Others who do not receive the proper medical care after an accident can suffer from lasting headaches and trouble concentrating or remembering things.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 3.8 million concussions occur each year during sports and recreation in the United States. Additionally, emergency rooms reportedly treat close to 170,000 children with sports and recreation-related traumatic brain injuries each year, and his number is going up.

Sport-related brain injuries have also been in the news lately because of the problems they have caused professional athletes. As we have discussed in past posts, hockey great Sidney Crosby of the Philadelphia Flyers recently returned to the ice after suffering from consecutive concussions that cost him most of last season.

Additionally, more than 100 former NFL players who suffer from concussion-related brain injuries have filed a lawsuit against the league alleging that NFL officials knew players with multiple concussions were at risk, but failed to do enough to protect them.

Ultimately, brain injuries need to be on everyone’s radar, and not just in March. If you or your child suffers a head injury, it’s important to seek treatment right away to help prevent an permanent damage.

Source: Lawrenceville Patch, “March is Brain Injury Awareness Month,” By Elizabeth McSpiritt, MD, MPH, March 23, 2012