#8 - Why athletes need to report concussions

There’s a lack of awareness around the importance of reporting concussion in sports or to encourage a teammate to report if something seems off. There’s a lot of pressure, especially in sports, to play through the injury or to ‘brush it off.’ But, as concussion awareness continues to grow, the culture is changing.

So why is reporting a concussion so important? First, if a concussion goes unreported and someone continues to participate after a concussion in sports, they’re likely to have a longer recovery from the injury. Research has shown that you’re more than twice as likely to have a longer recovery than people who stopped activity immediately after the injury.

Second, if you don’t report a concussion and keep playing, you’re at risk for Second Impact Syndrome, or SIS. SIS occurs when someone gets a second concussion before the first is fully healed. It leads to swelling of the brain and can cause major and lasting problems or even death in rare cases.

Be sure to visit a trained care provider if you think you have a concussion. Your brain health affects every aspect of your life, including your involvement in the activities you love. Check out BaselineTesting.com for our Concussion 101 Guide and to learn other tips to protect your brain.