Boys More Likely to Hide Concussions

Study suggests fear of looking ‘weak’ might play a role Studies suggest being afraid of looking weak plays role in hiding injuries.

Quick Facts:

• Concussion: Brain injury caused by a blow to the head or a jolt such as through a fall
• Symptoms include: headache, dizziness, loss of consciousness, memory loss or confusion, death
• High school boys are less likely to speak up than girls, tending to have a “show-no-weakness” mentality
• Guys are more worried about peers and coaches judging them negatively if they reported their concussion
• You should be completely asymptomatic, cognitively intact, doing well in school and made sure you function at 100%, before returning to activity
• Help build a culture that does not encourage toughening out concussions on the sports field. It’s not the answer!

Have you ever gotten knocked in the head, had a headache, but not told anyone?

Share your experience!!!

When it comes to reporting a sports-related concussion, high school boys are less likely to speak up than high school girls, new research reveals. HA! Tell me something knew?!?

Yes, guys do tend to have a “show-no-weakness” mentality, unfortunately, it appears while looking cool to the fellow guys around and impressive to a girl here and there, it really doesn’t do you all any favors as far as your mental health is concerned!

“Males are more worried about what their peers or coaches would think of them if they reported [their concussion],” said study author Jessica Wallace. She’s director of the master of athletic training program at Youngstown State University in Ohio.(1)

While we all, both boys and girls, seem to have (per the studies) on average a pretty good understanding as to what the concussion symptoms are, boys apparently are still four to 11 times less likely than girls to report these if they are sports-related. An astounding 70% of high school athletes with concussions played despite their symptoms, and 40% reported that their coaches didn’t know of the injury, according to a 2014 study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine.

But just in case you are NOT familiar with concussions

Concussion is a type of brain injury caused by a blow to the head or a jolt such as a fall. Symptoms commonly include headache, dizziness, loss of consciousness, memory loss or confusion, or even death. But sports-related concussions are often difficult to detect because they may exhibit no outward signs, study authors said. (1) And who of us has really not shrugged off a little headache from a head-bump on the sports field?!? Meh!

“It’s a mentality of, ‘If I report this, I’m going to be perceived as weak,’ ” said Wallace, who’s also a member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association. “We suspected some differences between males and females at the high school level, but were probably surprised by the magnitude.” (1)

Reasons given for not telling parents, coaches or others included: believing their coach would get mad; believing their teammates or coach would think they were weak; thinking their parents would be upset; and worrying that because it was the end of a sports season and they didn’t want to miss a game. (1)

However, the most frequent reason for both genders not to report a concussion was they didn’t think it was serious enough. Like I said, who has not dealt with a little headache anyways now and again. No big deal, right?

Hmmmmm, WRONG!

Scientists are beginning to tease out the potential long-term health consequences of concussions including memory loss, erratic behavior and depression (among other effects), after many blows to the head resulted in Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE.(2) You might have heard the stories about professional football players, wrestlers, or other athletes committing murder or suicide and their actions being directly linked back to their brain damage. If you like to see some of these stories, read up about Kosta Karageorge (wrestling & football), Andre Waters(wrestling), Adrian Robinson Jr. (football). Patrick Grange (soccer, not a suicide but a repeated concussion related severe brain damage situation leading to death), Ryan Freel (baseball), Dave Mirra (BMX).

Secondary Impact Injury – A Deadly Combination

While repeated concussions over time always pose problems, and increase your risk for such things as dementia and depression in the long run, concussions sustained while ALREADY having a concussion that is still trying to heal seems to be the worst option for you. It is really important to let your brain heal and recover fully before risking another “blow to the head”. It can also lead to Secondary Impact Injury which frequently results in death from a negligent push, shove, or hit to the body while a concussion already exists or is not completely healed.  (2) See Rowan Stringer (rugby, 17 year old girl dies of Secondary Impact Injury)

The standard treatment of concussion, is a multi-step approach that gradually increases a patient’s activity level. You should be completely asymptomatic, cognitively intact, doing well in school and have gone through a return-to-play protocol to make sure you function at 100%.(1)

If you are not allowing your brain to heal, “[y]ou are setting yourself up for the second impact syndrome, which has a 50 percent mortality rate if it happens,” Cantu says. “And, unfortunately, it has an almost 100 percent morbidity rate meaning even if you survive, you survive with neurologic deficits.”(3)

We really should instill the culture of toughening out your concussion on the sports field is not the answer!

Honestly, I prefer guys (well and of course gals) who can think and who are not depressed over a those who just look cool due to their game record. Just saying………

But why don’t you give us your opinion?????

I really like to hear what you think is more important!!!!!! 

Resources:

1.            2017. Boys More Likely to Hide aConcussion Than Girls: Study of high school athletes suggests fear of looking’weak’ might play a role [Online]. HealthBanks. Available: HTTP://WWW.HEALTHBANKS.COM/PATIENTPORTAL/MYPRACTICE.ASPX?UAID={96F04F5D-394C-40FB-8F50-C8CB51B1742F}&TABID={X}&ARTICLEID=723022 [Accessed September 22, 2017].

2.            Tanner, L., 2017. Science Says: Howrepeated head blows affect the brain [Online]. Long-View News Journal:Associated Press. Available: HTTPS://WWW.NEWS-JOURNAL.COM/NEWS/2017/SEP/09/SCIENCE-SAYS-HOW-REPEATED-HEAD-BLOWS-AFFECT-THE-BR/ [Accessed September 22, 2017].

3.            Herbst, D., 2015. Experts AlarmedOver 13 High School Football Deaths This Season [Online]. Available: HTTP://PEOPLE.COM/SPORTS/EXPERTS-ALARMED-OVER-13-HIGH-SCHOOL-FOOTBALL-DEATHS-THIS-SEASON/[Accessed September 22, 2017].