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Brain Injury Awareness Month 2010
A concussion is a brain injury. Get the
facts.
In recognition of March as
Brain Injury Awareness Month and the Brain Injury Association’s
ongoing commitment to sports and concussions, BIAA and its
nationwide network of 44 Chartered State Affiliates is launching a
year-long, nationwide education and advocacy campaign: “A concussion
is a brain injury. Get the facts.”
The campaign will launch in March with
radio and print public service announcements, awareness
proclamations and special events. A state advocacy effort to
introduce legislation to train coaches and protect youth athletes
will continue throughout the year along with ongoing nationwide
education.
A concussion is a brain injury period. BIAA
believes coaches of every school athletic team and every
extracurricular athletic activity should be trained to recognize the
signs and symptoms of brain injury, including concussions and second
impact syndrome. BIAA also believes young athletes who appear t have
sustained a concussion should have written authorization by a health
care professional before returning to play.
A concussion is caused by a bump, blow or jolt to
the head, or from a blow to the body that causes the head to move
rapidly back and forth. Most concussions occur without a loss of
consciousness and according to the CDC, a lack of proper diagnosis
and management of concussion may result in a serious long-term
consequences, or risk of coma or death. Signs and symptoms may be
noticeable immediately, or it may take days or weeks before they are
present.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, an estimated 3.8 million sports- and recreation-related
concussions occur in the United State each year. Of that estimate
U.S. emergency departments treat approximately 135,000 sports- and
recreation-related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), including
concussions, among children ages 5 to 18.
To support year-long
education and awareness efforts,
click here
for downloadable materials to distribute throughout your community
today! BIAA encourages the use and distribution of these
materials throughout 2010.
Brain Injury Can be Prevented !!
Many of the brain injuries that occur
annually in this country can be prevented. Each year 140,000 persons
die from brain injuries and 70,000 persons sustain severe brain
injuries.
A brain injury is an insult to the
brain caused by an external force, which may impair cognitive,
physical, behavioral, and emotional functions.
Brain injury rehabilitation is a long
process that is measured in years rather than months. Many persons
with severe brain injuries face a wide range of lifelong problems.
These problems, in turn, can dramatically affect an individual's
ability to live independently, care for a family, and work.
The true extent of brain injury is
conveyed by numbers. Lives, hopes, dreams, families, and friendships
are often altered in the wake of a brain injury. Research,
rehabilitation, public awareness, and PREVENTION can help to lessen
the occurrence to brain injuries in our society.
Be Smart. Be Well..
The Brain Injury Association of
Illinois worked closely with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois
in the development of a new wellness website. The inaugural
topic was "Brain Injury Prevention". We are very grateful to
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois for inviting us to partner
with them in providing this important information on prevention
and awareness of brain injury not only within the state of
Illinois but throughout the nation. The information on brain
injury prevention can be found in the archive section on the
home page and will remain available online as new topics are
introduced. We encourage brain injury providers and
professionals to add this resource to their websites and to use
the information that is made available on the site. If you are
interested in adding this site to yours, please let me know and
I will forward the information and graphic to you. Please take
note that two board members appear in this video. Dr. Nelson
Escobar of Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital and Dr. James Young
of Rush University Medical Center. Amy Davis generously
contributed her story and insights to the website. Many of you
will recognize Amy from her presentation at our 2004 Educational
Conference and participation in our 2005 Fashion Show. You'll
recognize other Brain Injury Association of Illinois members in
this video project! Thank you to all who generously contributed
their time and story to this project.
Be Smart. Be Well. is a health and
wellness website designed to raise awareness of prevalent, yet
largely preventable health and safety issues. Through
interviews with medical professionals, and video documentaries
with individuals whose lives have been changed, Be Smart. Be
Well seeks to engage and motivate people to make smart and
healthy choices. The first featured topic was Traumatic Brain
Injury (TBI). Be Smart. Be Well. will be updated periodically
with new topics, and all prior topics, including TBI, will
always be accessible.
Visit
http://www.besmartbewell.com today, where awareness and
prevention meet.
Brain Injury Facts for Parents, Coaches and Athletes
According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) an estimated 1.6 to 3.8 million sports and
recreation related concussions occur in the U.S. each year.
Concussions occur even if an athlete doesn’t lose consciousness and
in fact, is the most common type of brain injury sustained in
sports.
A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI)
caused by a blow or jolt to the head. The severity of an injury can
range from mild to severe. Signs and symptoms may be noticeable
immediately, or it may take days or weeks before they are present.
Symptoms and recovery vary for each person, but
awareness and seeking medical attention immediately following an
incident are crucial steps in caring for yourself, a teammate, or
family member.
2009 Awareness Materials
2009 Sports & Concussions BIAA Fact Sheet – PDF
Tracy’s Story from the CDC – PDF
2009 Marketing Materials
Sports & Concussions Web Banner – JPG
Sports & Concussions Web Banner – PDF
Links to Brain Injury Awareness Videos/CDC - PDF
Sports & Concussions Ad – PDF
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The BEST
Protection Against Brain Injury is PREVENTION!! |
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