"CDC Issues New Concussion Guidelines As Kids Head Back To School" - Reena Roy
Kids are back to school and that means young athletes are back on the field again. While fall sports are a good time, they do come with a risk. Concussions are very common and can often go unnoticed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released updated guidelines for children’s concussions, urging people to look out for symptoms like headaches, dizziness, light sensitivity and sleep problems. “Usually there are clinical signs that a more severe intracranial injury has taken place,” said Kristen Dams-O’Connor, PhD, associate professor of rehabilitation medicine and neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and co-director of the Brain Injury Research Center of Mount Sinai. The new guidelines warn against blood tests and x-rays in detecting concussions, saying that they are not effective. The best treatment is to rest, but not for too long. More than three days or inactivity can actually worsen symptoms.
- Kristen Dams-O’Connor, PhD, Associate Professor, Rehabilitation Medicine, Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Co-Director, The Brain Injury Research Center of Mount Sinai