There has been interest over the years discussing whether or not gender plays a role in the symptoms one experiences after suffering ABI. CTV spotlighted a story on this very issue; concussion symptoms & gender. In addition, BIST has highlighted new research demonstrating the differences in concussion symptoms between boys and girls.
There was a specific study performed on high school athletes who suffered concussions. The research showed that there was a difference in specific symptoms that were exhibited by girls than those of boys. This is a concerning issue, the diagnosis of concussions is based on symptoms and these symptoms can be missed or misconstrued due to gender.
In Washington D.C. the National Athletic Trainers Association Youth Sports Safety Summit examined 812 sports related concussions in 610 males and 202 females. They found that headaches were a common occurrence regardless of gender but some secondary symptoms such as confusion, disorientation, amnesia, and noise sensitivity differed by gender. In this study, females were three times more likely to be sensitive to noise after a concussion, and almost 1/3 of those females reported feeling drowsy whereas only 1/5 of males reported this symptom. More than twice the number of boys reported amnesia when compared to the females in this study.
Dr. Dawn Comstock reports about diagnosis; “No biological markers exist to detect concussion, so diagnosis largely depends on a patient’s own report,” further; “Diagnosing concussion is further complicated by the tendency of many athletes to under-report or hide symptoms from their doctors, athletic trainers, coaches and parents.”
Diagnosis is dependent on many factors but this research shed some light on the fact that there should be precautions taken when diagnosing different genders for concussions. Recovery time tends not to differ between gender, which was also revealed through this study. It is important if you suffer a concussion to ensure you are honest about your symptoms with your healthcare professionals. They can only help you as much as you help yourself.
Gluckstein & Associates LLP would like to remind everyone to be safe this summer season with the many different sporting activity options available it is easy to get hurt if you are not taking appropriate safety precautions. Remember to always wear your helmet when possible, and be aware of the outcomes some hard-hitting sports can cause.
Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/boys-and-girls-concussion-symptoms-can-differ-1.583876#ixzz1zqcAvj00
Gluckstein & Associates:
- Visit www.gluckstein.com
- For more interesting reads visit our blog at www.glucksteinlaw.wordpress.com
- Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/gluckstein.lawyers
- Follow us on Twitter: @glucksteinlaw