Females apt to sustain concussions

Studies show that females are more likely to receive a concussion and often go undiagnosed.

ALICIA COOK STAFF WRITER ARC725@CABRINI EDU

Although male athletes may play tough, studies have shown that women athletes are more prone to concussions than male athletes.

An article in the New York Times, “Girls are Often Neglected Victims of Concussions,” reported the results of a study that “girls sustained concussions 68 percent more often than boys did.”

When thinking of a concussion one might think of football or boxing, which mainly is stereotyped as a male sport.

Lizzie Williams, a sophomore, pre-med biology major, said, “Women do play just as hard as the boys do… [women’s] neck muscles are not as developed in the same way that the men’s are which means that we cannot absorb the shock as well.”

Concussions can have a long-lasting effect on some and have no effect on others. For example, volleyball player Kate Conahan, sophomore exercise science and health promotion major, said that her concussion, although it was mild, “still effected my testing abilities.”

Although Conahan’s experience was unfortunate, lacrosse player Michelle Ferisse, sophomore accounting major, has only seen and experienced, “after the concussion [someone becomes] more timid [it ends up with them] not playing as aggressive.”

Along with Ferisse, women’s lacrosse coach Jacqueline Neary said, “I have had a player or two with them and the bad thing is they always need to miss games usually as a result.”

According to the article “Female Lacrosse Players need Equality of Protection,” Neil Osterweil, a writer for Med Page Today, and Andrew E. Lincoln, of Johns Hopkins researched and found that over the course of four years, female high school and college lacrosse players had significantly more head, face and eye injuries than male players.

Losing consciousness not necessary

Brain dysfunction was clear after mild head injury even if athlete did not have classic signs of concussion:

Loss of consciousness

Amnesia after regaining consciousness

Personal Trainer

Blow to head not just a ‘ding’

Football players need several days to recover from a concussion, according to new research that is likely to apply to other sports.

After a mild head injury

The athletes’ neurological symptoms lasted about 7 days

Their thinking took 5 to 7 days to return to normal Their balance took 3 to 5 days to recover

About 10 percent of players needed more than a week to recover

Recommendations

After concussion, athlete should stop competing at once

Do not return to play or practice until all symptoms end, both at rest and with exertion

If athlete passes out or has signs of amnesia, he or she should not play that day

Athlete should get careful, repeated exams by person trained and experienced in evaluating concussion

If symptoms worsen, athlete should get immediate medical exam, possible hospitalization

Source: Study of 1,631 college football players by Michael McCrea of Waukesha Memorial Hospital, Journal of the American Medical Association

CBS reported that the study found that “football still dominates the field for concussions, [but] in high school soccer girls were 64 percent more likely to sustain a concussion- usually from falling while trying to head the ball.”

Studies also were shown according to this CBS article that “basketball girls were 300 percent more likely to get a concussion

[than male basketball players].”

The Loquitur welcomes your comments and questions on this story. Please send your comments to: Loquitur@ googlegroups.com. The editors will review your comments each week and make corrections if warranted.