As a coach, if you think an athlete may have a concussion, you should: Remove the athlete from play. Keep an athlete with a possible concussion out of play on the same day of the injury and until cleared by a healthcare provider. Do not try to judge the severity of the injury yourself.

What do you do if the athlete has a head injury?

As a coach, if you think an athlete may have a concussion, you should: Remove the athlete from play. Keep an athlete with a possible concussion out of play on the same day of the injury and until cleared by a healthcare provider. Do not try to judge the severity of the injury yourself.

How do contact sports cause brain damage?

If you have ever played contact sports, you may have heard about chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is caused by repetitive head injuries leading to a progressive loss in memory and other brain skills. The lack of proper skull protection has become a leading cause of brain problems in athletes.

What professional sport has the most head injuries?

The following sports/recreational activities represent the categories contributing to the highest number of estimated head injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms in 2018.

• Cycling: 64,411.
• Football: 51,892.
• Baseball and Softball: 24,516.
• Basketball: 38,898.

When is an athlete never allowed to return to any contact sport?

“Any athlete who exhibits signs, symptoms, or behaviors consistent with a concussion (such as loss of consciousness, headache, dizziness, confusion, or balance problems) shall be immediately removed from the contest and shall not return to play until cleared by an appropriate health care professional.”

What happens if you play sports with a concussion?

If you play through a concussion, you are putting yourself at risk for Second Impact Syndrome. If you get hit in the head again before your first concussion heals, you could collapse and end up with brain damage, in a wheelchair or dead. No game or practice is worth the chance of dying.

What are the types of brain injuries that occur in high impact sports?

The most common TBIs in sports are cerebral contusions, second-impact syndrome concussions, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and hematomas.

What professional sport has the highest rate of concussions?

Concussions occur in all sports with the highest incidence in American football, ice hockey, rugby, soccer, and basketball.

What part of the head is most prone to concussions?

The parts of the brain that are most commonly affected in traumatic brain injury are the frontal and temporal lobes.