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Brain Injury
Awareness Month 2010
A concussion is a brain injury.
Get the
facts.
In recognition of March as Brain Injury
Awareness Month and the Brain Injury Association’s ongoing
commitment to sports and concussions, BIAA and its nationwide
network of 44 Chartered State Affiliates is launching a year-long,
nationwide education and advocacy campaign: “A concussion is a brain
injury. Get the facts.”
The campaign will launch in March with radio and print public
service announcements, awareness proclamations and special events. A
state advocacy effort to introduce legislation to train coaches and
protect youth athletes will continue throughout the year along with
ongoing nationwide education.
A concussion is a brain injury period. BIAA
believes coaches of every school athletic team and every
extracurricular athletic activity should be trained to recognize the
signs and symptoms of brain injury, including concussions and second
impact syndrome. BIAA also believes young athletes who appear to
have sustained a concussion should have written authorization by a
health care professional before returning to play.
A concussion is caused by a bump, blow or jolt
to the head, or from a blow to the body that causes the head to move
rapidly back and forth. Most concussions occur without a loss of
consciousness and according to the CDC, a lack of proper diagnosis
and management of concussion may result in a serious long-term
consequences, or risk of coma or death. Signs and symptoms may be
noticeable immediately, or it may take days or weeks before they are
present.
According to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, an estimated 3.8 million sports- and
recreation-related concussions occur in the United State each year.
Of that estimate U.S. emergency departments treat approximately
135,000 sports- and recreation-related traumatic brain injuries
(TBIs), including concussions, among children ages 5 to 18.
To support year-long education and awareness
efforts, click here for downloadable materials
to distribute
throughout your community today! BIAA encourages the use and
distribution of these materials throughout 2010.
Brain
Injury Can be Prevented !!
Many of the brain injuries that occur
annually in this country can be prevented. Each year 140,000 persons
die from brain injuries and 70,000 persons sustain severe brain
injuries.
A brain injury is an insult to the
brain caused by an external force, which may impair cognitive,
physical, behavioral, and emotional functions.
Brain injury rehabilitation is a long
process that is measured in years rather than months. Many persons
with severe brain injuries face a wide range of lifelong problems.
These problems, in turn, can dramatically affect an individual's
ability to live independently, care for a family, and work.
The true extent of brain injury is
conveyed by numbers. Lives, hopes, dreams, families, and friendships
are often altered in the wake of a brain injury. Research,
rehabilitation, public awareness, and PREVENTION can help to lessen
the occurrence to brain injuries in our society.
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The BEST
Protection Against Brain Injury is PREVENTION!! |
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