A Pummeled Polamalu

The News:

Coach Mike Tomlin announced in a press conference today that Steelers safety Troy Polamalu suffered a concussion in last Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals.


The Medicine:

A concussion is caused by a blow to the head. The brain bounces against the skull, and nerve fibers can tear.

A concussion may or may not cause you to lose consciousness, but it can interfere with coordination, balance, judgment, reflexes, memory, and speech -- things a football player would find important. The two most common symptoms are confusion and the loss of memory of the impact that caused the concussion.

A doctor will check memory, concentration, vision, balance and coordination. Sometimes a CT scan is done to look for bleeding and swelling that may not be apparent at first.

A known complication is postconcussion syndrome, where concussion symptoms last for weeks or months. Also, research has shown that one concussion can predispose you to more concussions. Multiple concussions can lead to cumulative neurological damage.

Sports medicine experts recommend full recovery before returning to a sport. An athlete should not return to play while concussion symptoms are present. Symptoms may go away at rest, but may come back with activity. If that's the case, the athlete should continue to sit out.

When an athlete experiences symptoms of concussion that last for more than 15 minutes or sustains a concussion with loss of memory, the major guidelines agree that the athlete should be removed from the game and not return to play until the athlete is without symptoms, at rest or with exertion, for at least one week.

In high school football alone, as many as 250,000 concussions occur each year, and up to one in five players sustains a concussion.


The Discussion:

Have you or child had a concussion because of sports? What did you do, and how did you feel about it?

If you were a professional athlete, what would you do? Does "professional athlete" status make a difference in the decision making?