#44 - Concussion Myth #2

Continuing our concussion myths series, we’ll be talking about myth #2: you must lose consciousness to have a concussion.

Losing consciousness was once thought to be an indisputable sign of a concussion. Athletic coaches would use this as a point of reference to determine if a player was healthy to continue playing. The truth is, concussions without a loss of consciousness happen in 9/10 cases.

Coaches, parents, and athletes need to be on the lookout for other signs of a concussion, like dizziness, headaches, memory issues, and more subtle side effects. When it comes to the age-old question, “do you have to lose consciousness to have a concussion?” the answer is no.