March 22, 2023– Layla Blitzer, a 17-year-old high school junior in New York City, was playing field hockey for her school last October and was struck hard by the ball, right above her eye.
She sustained a severe concussion. She’s likewise had neck problems and headaches for the last 4 months. “They’re so serious I still require physical treatment for them,” she stated.
In the beginning, the personnel at the opposing high school where she was playing didn’t recognize she had a concussion. “Even the referee stated, ‘You’re not tossing up, so you’re great,'” Allison Blitzer, Layla’s mom, stated.
It was quickly clear that Layla wasn’t “great.” She spoke with a school-referred neurologist who detected the concussion.
Comparable Symptoms, Different Severity
David Wang, MD, head group physician at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT, stated concussion signs– such as headaches, lightheadedness, visual disruptions, light and sound level of sensitivity, state of mind and cognitive issues, tiredness, and queasiness– are comparable in between teenagers and grownups.
“But the sign ratings and seriousness are greater in teenagers, compared to more youthful kids and grownups,” he stated.
The healing time is longer.
“The impacts of an adult concussion, particularly in guys, might be around 7 days, however 3 to 4 weeks isn’t uncommon in teens, and it can be even longer in female teenagers,” Wang, who is the director of Comprehensive Sports Medicine in Connecticut, stated.
The intensity of signs, and for how long they last, in teenagers “pertains to their phase of life since teenagers are going through the age of puberty and in a quick development stage, biologically, and are not neurologically fully grown,” he stated. “The modifications going on in their bodies might make them more susceptible to the effect of a concussion, compared to more youthful kids and grownups.”
Comparable to patterns discovered in adult females compared to guys, women tend to have more serious signs and a longer healing, compared to young boys– something Allison Blitzer was amazed to discover. Her older child has actually had actually sustained 2 concussions playing sports in high school, however after a number of weeks, “he was great and back at it.” Layla’s signs were more serious and lasting.
Among a number of possible factors for the sex distinctions in concussion is that women normally have less neck strength, Wang stated. Weaker neck muscles permit more head velocity following a blow, which leads to higher forces to the brain.
Dealing with a Teen’s Recovery Time
Layla tried to go to school 3 days after the concussion, however “it didn’t work out,” she stated. The brilliant class lights interrupted her eyes. And the majority of the guideline was digital, on a computer system or a projector, and excessive screen time triggers eye stress and headaches following a concussion.
“I could not search for and I could not do any of the work my class was doing,” Layla stated. The sound stimulation in the lobbies, lunchroom, and somewhere else was frustrating, too,