Brain Injury Awareness Month

To the Editor:

Playing sports is a national pastime many people participate in, and for some, it even is a way of life. Throughout history people have played games as a recreational and stress-relieving activity. However, what people often fail to realize when playing sports is that – no matter how much talent they may possess – they still are human and injuries do occur.

Much to the chagrin of sports fans, there has been a recent rash of high-profile athletes sustaining numerous concussions. Perennial all-stars such as Steve Young of the San Francisco 49ers and Eric Lindros of the Philadelphia Flyers have been making headlines lately, not for their on-the-field pursuits but for their off-the-field health problems in dealing with injuries caused by multiple concussions. These injuries unfortunately have reminded us how fragile the human brain really is.

The fragility of the brain and the lack of information and knowledge surrounding concussions and other brain injuries are the main reasons October has been designated Brain Injury Awareness Month. This public education initiative seeks to teach people about brain injury and its consequences, correcting misperceptions such as the idea there is no such thing as a mild concussion or a mild brain injury. Concussions – defined as an alteration in mental status due to the brain shaking inside its protective skull – are the most recognizable and frequent type of brain injury. For instance, football is responsible for approximately 100,000 concussions in the United States each year. Football players with brain injuries are six times as likely to sustain new injuries.

It would be in the best interest of everyone to take any precautionary measure possible to prevent these types of injuries from occurring. The numbers of people sustaining traumatic brain injuries each year are staggering – 82,000 are sustained while participating in sports activities. Sadly, many of these injuries could have been prevented if the necessary safety measures would have been taken.

The days of urging athletes to “shake it off” after banging their head during a game must end. Preventing concussions or, at the very least, treating them appropriately, is as important as using the right hockey stick or soccer cleat.

Sincerely,

Lynne Yessian

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Support Group

Main Street Rehab, Danbury                                       October 10, 2000