Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Litigation Blogs -> Brain Injury News and Information

OR PHONE (866) 635-1838 for Bankruptcy Help, (866) 635-6190 for Divorce,
(866) 635-2689 for Personal Injury or (866) 635-9402 for Criminal Defense

Find a Local Lawyer

Bankruptcy (866) 635-1838
Divorce (866) 635-6190
Personal Injury (866) 635-2689
Criminal Defense (866) 635-9402

Litigation

: Brain Injury News and Information

Mixed Messages in David Wright Concussion Story

By Michael Kaplen

ADVERTISEMENTS

As those who follow sports may know,New York Met's baseball player, David Wright was struck in the head on Saturday from a fast ball moving at a reported speed of 93 miles per hour. Even though he was wearing a helmet, which probably saved his life, he still was knocked unconscious and suffered a concussion.

The Met's using some good judgment for a change, decided to put David Wright on the disabled list and refused to allow him to go back to play. But, just yesterday, a press conference was held in which you can hear David himself telling the press how he feels just fine and want's to go back to play.

Again, unfortunately, the serious side effects of concussions and the life long consequences associated with the post concussion syndrome get minimized by injured players and sometimes teams who try to get players back into the game before it makes good medical sense to do so.

Maybe one day instead of a press conference where everything has a positive spin, a team and player will get up and talk about all the serious consequences of a concussion, the signs and symptoms that parents and coaches and especially players need to know about and the dangers associated with repeated concussions and premature decisions to return to play.

Here again are the signs and symptoms of a concussion as set forth by the Center for Disease Control that everyone needs to know and understand:

Signs and Symptoms of Concussions and Traumatic Brain Injury:

The signs and symptoms of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be subtle. Symptoms of a TBI may not appear until days or weeks following the injury or may even be missed as people may look fine even though they may act or feel differently. The following are some common signs and symptoms of a TBI:

Headaches or neck pain that do not go away;
Difficulty remembering, concentrating, or making decisions;
Slowness in thinking, speaking, acting, or reading;
Getting lost or easily confused;
Feeling tired all of the time, having no energy or motivation;
Mood changes (feeling sad or angry for no reason);
Changes in sleep patterns (sleeping a lot more or having a hard time sleeping);
Light-headedness, dizziness, or loss of balance;
Urge to vomit (nausea);
Increased sensitivity to lights, sounds, or distractions;
Blurred vision or eyes that tire easily;
Loss of sense of smell or taste; and
Ringing in the ears.

Children with a brain injury can have the same symptoms as adults, but it is often harder for them to let others know how they feel. Call your child?s doctor if they have had a blow to the head and you notice any of these symptoms:
Tiredness or listlessness;
Irritability or crankiness (will not stop crying or cannot be consoled);
Changes in eating (will not eat or nurse);
Changes in sleep patterns;
Changes in the way the child plays;
Changes in performance at school;
Lack of interest in favorite toys or activities;
Loss of new skills, such as toilet training;
Loss of balance or unsteady walking; or
Vomiting