School is out and more kids are hitting the playgrounds. With the increased activity comes the greater risk of developing a concussion. Dr. Dean Lin, a neurosurgeon with Lee Memorial Health System says, “its basically a big brain bruise.”

Doctors predict more than 3 million concussions will be diagnosed this year because of sports-related injuries. Statistics that don’t shock Dr. Lin. “Most of the sports we like to watch have a lot of high impact sports, football, basketball, soccer, baseball - not as much. But most of these include very high impact activities.”

He adds that anytime someone takes a hit to the head and loses consciousness, it’s a concussion. “Headaches, nausea, vomiting, problems with attention span, irritability, these things can frequently happen after a concussion.” As with any injury to the head, seeing a physician immediately is crucial. “Very bad things and swelling can happen in the brain if you take a second hit very shortly after the first one,” explains Dr. Lin. 

The best treatment? “There’s really no magic pill for any of these kind of head injuries. Typically, it’s just your body getting rid of it on its own,” says Dr. Lin.

After being diagnosed with a concussion, it’s important to follow up with your doctor to make sure there aren’t any additional injuries to the head and most importantly, to get the all-clear to hit the playing field once again.