Play it Safe with HealthSouth

HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Altoona and WTAJ are helping to raise concussion awareness through the Play it Safe campaign!

The Play it Safe Campaign is to designed to help educating Central PA on concussions. We’re looking to reach coaches, parents, and athletes involved in youth sports on the signs of a concussion.

Concussion Signs

• Appears dazed                                               
• Different-sized pupils
• Clumsy movement                                                     
• Loss of consciousness
• Poor balance                                                              
• Forgets things prior to injury(retrograde amnesia)
• Nausea/vomiting                                                          
• Moves slowly 
• Forgets things after injury
• Confusion (anterograde amnesia)
• Slow to respond

Physical Concussion Symptoms

• Headache                                                                   
• Light sensitivity
• Fatigue                                                                       
• Noise Sensitivity
• Sleep pattern changes                                               
• Low energy
• Visual changes                                                           
• Ears Ringing   
• Dizziness                                                                     
• Nausea           
• Impaired Balance

Cognitive Concussion Symptoms

• Poor concentration                                        
• Mental fogginess                                           
• Memory issues                       
• Problem solving difficulty                                                      
• Distractibility                                                                         
• Slowed thinking
• Disorganized
• Impaired reaction time

Emotional or Behavioral Concussion Symptoms

• Personality changes                                       
• Depression     
• Anxiety                                                                       
• Easily frustrated                                                                     
• More emotional than usual
• Clinginess
• Irritability

Things to Remember:

• Loss of consciousness if not always predictive of outcome.
• Patients with retrograde amnesia are 10 X more likely to have poor acute outcome.
• Patients with anterograde amnesia are 4 X more likely to have poor acute outcome.
• Patients who are not fully recovered from an initial concussion are significantly more likely to have recurrent, cumulative and even catastrophic consequences of a second concussive injury. 

Visit HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Altoona at 2005 Valley View Blvd. in Altoona, call them at (814) 944-3535 or visit their website for more information.