Global:Safety resources - Concussion recognition resources

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Concussion recognition resources

A concussion is an injury to the brain that results in temporary loss of normal brain function. It is the most common form of mild traumatic brain injury, often sustained from a blow to the head after a fall or an accident or during contact sports.

You don't have to be knocked out or even be hit on the head directly to be concussed, and symptoms can take time to appear (next day, or even days after). Only 10% of concussions result in a loss of consciousness. Most concussions are self-reported, and they often go undiagnosed. Even a mild concussion can have long-lasting effects.

Combatants will often try to hide signs of a concussion so they can keep fighting, so having advocates on the sidelines to reduce the stigma of saying you're hurt or experiencing symptoms like dizziness or lightheadedness can make a big difference in getting people to report and get treatment for a concussion.

Publicly available tools are available to help identify concussion in yourself and others.

  • Concussion in Sport, particularly their Concussion Recognition Tool helps non-medically trained people to identify and manage concussions in children, adolescents and adults, and is supported by professional and amateur sports organizations. It's not designed to diagnose concussion, but will help identify when someone should go and get checked out by a medical professional.
  • CDC Heads Up site will help you recognize, respond to, and minimize the risk of concussion or other serious brain injury.
  • ImPACT (baseline and post-injury testing) is a FDA cleared medical device, is used by healthcare, educational, and sports organizations to help assess and manage concussions. (Testing now also available online.)

International sporting bodies strongly recommend that participants who have experienced a concussion be symptom free for 14 days before return to any contact training, and wait at least 21 days (and have been symptom free for 14 days) before return to competitive contact activities.

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