Dear Dr. Bob,

My kid recently got a concussion snowboarding. Should I be concerned?

Dear Jim,

As football season is coming to an end, and hockey, skiing and boarding is beginning to gear up, I've been asked a few times about concussions and when an athlete can return to his sport. Let's take a few minutes to talk about this.

A concussion is a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that can occur in any sport. The good thing is that most heal quickly, but the bad part is that they are essentially invisible. It is hard to know when the injured brain is completely healed. The most common symptoms of a concussion are headache, dizziness, balance problems, nausea, double vision, confusion, feeling "fuzzy," and noise/light sensitivity.

In total, there are more than three million concussions from sport and recreational activities yearly. It is a very common injury.

Before returning to play after a concussion, an athlete should have no symptoms either at rest or with activity, be taking no medicines to mask any symptoms and should be back at their normal neurologic status. It is important to know that repeated TBI's over an extended period can result in cumulative neurologic and cognitive deficits. Repeated mild TBI's in a short period can be catastrophic.

Concussions are common and will continue to occur. We must all do our best to prevent them. It is important to teach and practice safe techniques and wear protective equipment. Coming from a father, a new helmet is a great Christmas gift.

Have a very Merry Christmas and a safe holiday season!

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