Does my teen need to quit sports after three concussions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Well, I mean track & field or swimming would be great.

You can bang your head swimming colliding with a swimmer coming the other way or miscounting your backstroke strokes into the wall.

You do not know anything about swimming!! No swimmers are not getting concussions.

Um, I was an international swimming representative. And you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where’s OP? Without knowing the timing of these three concussions, it’s just speculation.

3 concussions starting from age 5, and 2 more 5 yrs apart (not op just going off the last page)

Op here. No, three total. One at 5 when a soccer ball was kicked into their head, one at 9 or 10, and one recently. The one at nine involved colliding into another kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCUM is very risk averse.

I have participated in a risky sport (equestrian) since I was 8. I love it and it is a huge part of my life.

I have had many concussions, including two fairly severe TBIs.

For an unrelated reason, I have had several MRIs in the last year. My brain still looks good in every respect except the benign, asymptomatic brain tumor I have that is completely unrelated to concussions.

During this time I talked with several top neurologists and neurosurgeons about my concussion history, and they said that CTE is not so much likely when you have a few large concussive events as when you have repeated smaller impacts, often not even diagnosable. The cited football and headers in soccer as strong risks, and my 4-5 bad accidents as a much lesser risk.

These people claiming they stop at one are misled.

Dont come to DCUM for risk advice. I rode my horse this morning!

And you are antivax, a trumpet and an idiot.

OP this post is beyond stupid.

This person does not have a Medical degree your son's doctor does.

All medical advice ie people who have actually studied the brain would concur no more sports!

This pos is an absolute idiotic selfish post ignore it.

Um, no.

I will take the medical advice of my HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL neurologist (he teaches there, not a degree) over your Internet MD. I guarantee you aren’t a neurologist and certainly are not as good as he is!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My brother played rugby in high school and college. He loved it and had a great community in it. Also at least three concussions.

The depression developed in his mid 20s. Cost him his first marriage and finishing a PhD program. He married again, had kids late, loves being a dad, has a good enough job to support his family, and decent life but has continued to struggle with depression for 30 years, has other related health issues, and ultimately I think was robbed of much joy and success and ease of living in the 35 years since high school.

If my mom could go back in time and make him take up something besides rugby she 💯 would.

I've had depression and unrelated health issues and I never played rugby.

You seem to be skipping a major step in your story.

[Anonymous]

One concussion can significantly increase your risk of Parkinson's and Dementia. https://www.parkinson.org/blog/science-news/concussions-dementia#:~:text=What%20Does%20It%20Mean%3F,well%20as%20ADHD%20and%20MADs)

I'm guessing the doctor is suggesting stopping the sports because you want to seriously reduce your son's risk of concussions going forward. It seems like prudent advice to consider.

[Anonymous]

I don't think so, not entirely. My son quit soccer due to concussions, took up XC, and a year later, tripped hit his head and got ... you guessed it, a concussion. He also got one a few years later playing pickleball of all things, in a freak accident. It's unfortunate, but I don't intend to recommend he give up all physical activity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A concussion is a concussion. Absolutely he should be out of whatever sport is causing that rate of injury at only 15. Find a new sport.

It is a brain injury.

For sure he needs to drop the sport that he causing this.

Sorry, but damage is cumulative, and life is long.

Exactly. Am wondering if op had a few concussions and isn’t thinking clearly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One concussion can significantly increase your risk of Parkinson's and Dementia. https://www.parkinson.org/blog/science-news/concussions-dementia#:~:text=What%20Does%20It%20Mean%3F,well%20as%20ADHD%20and%20MADs)

I'm guessing the doctor is suggesting stopping the sports because you want to seriously reduce your son's risk of concussions going forward. It seems like prudent advice to consider.

Thank you for the link. Hard to believe how parents believe concussions are ok.

[Anonymous]

He needs his brain for the rest of his life. Lacrosse not so much. There is your answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One concussion can significantly increase your risk of Parkinson's and Dementia. https://www.parkinson.org/blog/science-news/concussions-dementia#:~:text=What%20Does%20It%20Mean%3F,well%20as%20ADHD%20and%20MADs)

I'm guessing the doctor is suggesting stopping the sports because you want to seriously reduce your son's risk of concussions going forward. It seems like prudent advice to consider.

Thank you for the link. Hard to believe how parents believe concussions are ok.

Who has said concussions are okay? Weird that you think anyone said that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids and step kids are not allowed to play any contact sports - football, lacrosse, soccer, hockey, etc.

All concussions are extreme.

Random question but would you let them play baseball? Not contact sport but still potential for injury.

Isn't there a lot of standing around in baseball? It doesn't seem an activity that promotes cardio.

You don’t know baseball well at all apparently.

OP-
My oldest nephew ended up with 6 concussions as a result of hockey, lacrosse, and skiing. The ski fall was so minor that nobody thought anything of it until he was dizzy and sick later that night. His doctor said it was due to the cumulative effects of the prior concussions.
Anyway, not only did they end his athletic career but they took their toll on his academic life too. Ended up barely graduating high school and could not get close to being successful in college.

I decided if my teens end up with one concussion, team athletics and possibly dangerous individual sports are done.

Agreed that I am no baseball expert, but this article says that there is an average of 18 minutes of action in a typical MLB game, so about 9 minutes for each team over the course of three hours. https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/theres-about-18-minutes-of-action-in-your-average-mlb-game/#:~:text=Over%20at%20the%20Wall%20Street,minutes%20of%20actual%20baseball%20action. There seems to be a lot of bench warming and standing in the outfield with brief spurts of activity. The pitcher and catcher get more action I can see.

By contrast, in an hour long cross country race, each kid gets about an hour of aerobic exercise, which adds up to thousands of minutes of activity per race.

There’s more to athletics than cardio minutes. Once you learn the strategy of baseball, you realize there is no better game out there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids and step kids are not allowed to play any contact sports - football, lacrosse, soccer, hockey, etc.

All concussions are extreme.

Random question but would you let them play baseball? Not contact sport but still potential for injury.

Isn't there a lot of standing around in baseball? It doesn't seem an activity that promotes cardio.

You don’t know baseball well at all apparently.

OP-
My oldest nephew ended up with 6 concussions as a result of hockey, lacrosse, and skiing. The ski fall was so minor that nobody thought anything of it until he was dizzy and sick later that night. His doctor said it was due to the cumulative effects of the prior concussions.
Anyway, not only did they end his athletic career but they took their toll on his academic life too. Ended up barely graduating high school and could not get close to being successful in college.

I decided if my teens end up with one concussion, team athletics and possibly dangerous individual sports are done.

Agreed that I am no baseball expert, but this article says that there is an average of 18 minutes of action in a typical MLB game, so about 9 minutes for each team over the course of three hours. https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/theres-about-18-minutes-of-action-in-your-average-mlb-game/#:~:text=Over%20at%20the%20Wall%20Street,minutes%20of%20actual%20baseball%20action. There seems to be a lot of bench warming and standing in the outfield with brief spurts of activity. The pitcher and catcher get more action I can see.

By contrast, in an hour long cross country race, each kid gets about an hour of aerobic exercise, which adds up to thousands of minutes of activity per race.

There’s more to athletics than cardio minutes. Once you learn the strategy of baseball, you realize there is no better game out there.

Hit ball with bat. Repeat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where’s OP? Without knowing the timing of these three concussions, it’s just speculation.

3 concussions starting from age 5, and 2 more 5 yrs apart (not op just going off the last page)

Op here. No, three total. One at 5 when a soccer ball was kicked into their head, one at 9 or 10, and one recently. The one at nine involved colliding into another kid.

Personally, if it were me, I’d get a second opinion based on what you’ve described here. I’d also want clarification on what he can and can’t do and for how long.

The one person I know who is suffering from long term consequences of concussions got his playing basketball (elbow to head), playing pickleball (he slipped), and going down a water slide. But these were all in relative quick succession, and I believe part of the issue is that he didn’t let the first concussion heal before getting the second one. Then he just became super susceptible to the slightest head contact (hence the water slide).

It’s obviously a major concern and so I’d want more information from the doctor.

[Anonymous]

Why are you asking randoms instead of listening to medical advice?

[Anonymous]

It's not just concussions that contribute to CTE. It's also sub-concussive impacts where it didn't cause enough symptoms to be concerned. it's likely more widespread than we think. Right now CTE is only diagnosed post-death and not every family donates the brain. You know those high school sports stars who founder either post high school or post college or seem to have it all and then don't even fall apart until middle age. We don't know if that is just depression or moodiness with life challenges that might turn into abusive/explosive behavior because the person is too proud to get help or if it is CTE.

I've seen what CTE does to a well-adjusted, well-liked and previously successful person. It can be like the worsr case you have seen of dementia or bipolar on steroids. Please listen to the doctor.