Facts & Statistics |
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According to the American College of Sports Research, there are over 2 million concussions per year, with 85% of them never diagnosed.
50% of football players may experience one concussion each year. |
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A concussion is a brain injury, that frequently involves physical as well as cognitive symptoms.
It is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by a blow or jolt to the head. |
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An athlete does not need to lose consciousness to sustain a concussion. |
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Athletes under reporting concussion symptoms is a common practice at ALL levels of sports participation. |
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Effects of concussion are cumulative in athletes who RETURN TO PLAY prior to complete recovery. |
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Recovery may take days or weeks, with individuals often experiencing dizziness, headaches, double vision, memory problems, irritability and depression. |
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Girls have a higher incidence of concussions than boys. |
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Since a concussion is a metabolic rather than a structural injury, traditional procedures such as CT, MRI, and EEG, although helpful in identifying more serious concerns, are not useful in identifying the effects of a concussion. |
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Proper management of the injury is the first step in avoiding long-term complications. |
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Less than 50% of all high schools nationally have certified athletic trainers. |
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63% of all concussions occur in football. |
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Nearly 50% of high school football players have had a concussion, and 35% have had more than one. |
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About 10% of all student athletes in contact sports suffer a concussion during their season. |
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Other Statistics about Concussions and Traumatic Brain Injury*
TBI's (Traumatic Brain Injuries) contribute to a substantial number of deaths each year in the United States. Of the 1.4 Million who sustain a TBI each year in the United States: |
• 50,000 die
• 235,000 are hospitalized
• 1.1 Million are treated and released from an emergency department |
| Among children ages 0 to 14 years, TBI results in an estimated: |
• 2,685 deaths
• 37,000 hospitalizations
• 435,000 emergency department visits annually.
For more reading material about TBI, please visit the Center for Disease Control. |
| *Statistics provided by the United States Center for Disease Control |
