Sports injuries are scary. Every time there is a collision on a field or court we all hold our breath a little, hoping that the involved players are okay. Many times the players are able to get right up, but other times the injuries are more serious.
Head and neck injuries are some of the scariest injuries to witness or have. Our head and neck are crucial to our well-being and functionality. When one of these important body parts is injured, there is usually a lot of merited concern.
Here are four common head and neck injuries that are common in sports.
Concussions
Concussions are nasty head injuries and the big focus of many research studies and lawsuits. A concussion is an injury to your brain that is caused when your head is forcefully impacted causing your brain to slam against your skull.
Concussions vary in their severity, but even mild concussions need to be monitored. Concussions can cause headaches, loss of memory of the event causing the injury, dizziness, and nausea among other things.
Repeated concussions can cause lasting damage to the brain, and have been in severe cases been linked to continued trauma. If you think you or a loved one is concussed, go see a medical professional immediately.
Fractures
Fractures are tiny breaks in our bones. In high impact sports like rugby, football, and boxing it is not uncommon to see fractures in the neck and skull. These sports are designed to have contact at full speed, and even though some protective gear is worn, such injuries can unfortunately still easily occur.
Most fractures and breaks are serious, even if they are small. We previously noted the importance of the head and neck, and these injuries may start minor, but can easily get worse without treatment and care.
Broken/knocked out teeth
Our teeth are all-stars on our behalf, allowing us to chew and eat, and providing a winning smile. Like all bones, they are also known to be knocked out or break with impact.
It is very painful to have this happen, as there are a lot of nerves in your mouth and teeth. If this does happen, the dental field is fortunately advanced enough to fix many of these related issues. You will need to locate someone who does emergency dental work, and get help quickly.
Sprains
Sprains can occur on just about any muscle in the body. Sprains occur when muscles are stretched suddenly or too far. This can result in inflammation or even tears in the muscles and ligaments.
Whiplash is a commonly recognized form of neck sprains. This happens when an impact causes the neck to move suddenly and quickly back and forth. Have you ever seen a football player who jumps for a ball and then gets hit hard in the chest? Usually, their neck gets thrown violently backward and many times this type of injury results.
Do what it takes to be healthy. Be smart, use your head.
