Concussion keeps Red Sox shortstop Julio Lugo from more games

Concussions are a common sports injury, but they’re not usually associated with baseball. I guess someone forgot to tell Julio Lugo, shortstop for the Boston Red Sox.

A concussion, a brain injury that occurs when someone strikes their head, can range from mild to severe. In Lugo’s case, it was a mild concussion and doctors are monitoring him to be sure that he has healed before beginning to play. A huge problem with athletes who have concussions is they often return to their sport before they should, increasing the damage that can occur from the brain injury.

According to MedlinePlus, there are over 1,000,000 concussions in the United States every year. Of course, this is only the recorded concussions as many people do have signs and symptoms of a concussion but never get checked.

According to the MayoClinic.com, signs and symptoms of a concussion are:

• Headache
• Dizziness
• Ringing in the ears
• Nausea or vomiting
• Slurred speech

Some symptoms of concussions don’t appear until hours or days later. They include:

• Mood and cognitive disturbances
• Sensitivity to light and noise
• Sleep disturbances

People who have more than one concussion can develop brain damage that adds up over time, called cumulative damage, which makes it even more important not to rush back to the sport or activity that caused the injury – or any other one that could cause another.

Concussions can be very serious, so if you experience any of these signs, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible:

• Prolonged headache or dizziness
• Vision disturbances
• Nausea or vomiting
• Impaired balance
• Prolonged memory loss
• Ringing in the ears
• Loss of smell or taste

Image: Newscom

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