According to Alanna Waters, Repeat Concussions Prove Damaging to Young Athletes

PHILADELPHIA, PA, June 20, 2013

Alanna Waters is a youth lacrosse coach who is invested in keeping her young players safe and healthy. She is responding to a new article that explains how young athletes have a more challenging time bouncing back after sustaining more than one concussion. The piece notes that it takes a child roughly 12 days to recover from his or her first concussion. However, a new study explains that it takes even longer for this individual to recover after they receive a second or third concussion.

Dr. Matthew Eisenberg, the lead author of the study, states, "Kids who'd had a previous concussion had twice the duration of symptoms of those who hadn't had a previous concussion. We think that there's a window of time after the head injury in which the brain is more vulnerable to a second head injury."

Alanna Waters reflects on this information. "These new details are particularly troubling for young athletes, their parents, their doctors, and their coaches. We have always known how dangerous concussions are for kids, but this just shows exactly how problematic they can be, particularly when an athlete sustains more than one head injury. Upon learning this information, it becomes increasingly important for coaches to make strides to protect their players and keep them informed about signs and symptoms of concussions."

To complete his findings, Eisenberg examined roughly 300 young athletes who went to the emergency room after sustaining a concussion. They had symptoms that included headaches, dizziness, nausea, and trouble concentrating. The results showed that these symptoms lasted longer when the child sustained multiple concussions within a year of each other. Eisenberg and his team hypothesize that this may be because the brain has not had the ability to totally recover from the first blow to the head, though they have not confirmed that this hypothesis is correct.

Doctors issue strict orders to those who have sustained concussions. For kids, this includes no school and no sports. They will also advise these patients to stay away from video games and computer screens. When a second or third head injury occurs, these instructions become even stricter. The research team explains that children respond differently to concussions, and a doctor should devise a plan based on that particular athlete's symptoms.

Alanna Waters encourages parents, players, and coaches to understand the signs of concussions, as well as strategies that young athletes can employ to keep themselves safe from these devastating head injuries.

ABOUT:

Alanna Waters is the head girls' varsity coach at Metro Lacrosse. In her position, Waters helps young athletes from urban areas learn about the fundamentals of lacrosse. She also instructs them on concepts such as teamwork and perseverance, and enjoys serving as a mentor to her players. Waters is an experienced player herself, and led her high school and college teams to many victories.