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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffThe only known way to prevent post-concussion syndrome is to avoid the head injury in the first place.
Avoiding head injuries
Although you can't prepare for every potential situation, here are some tips for avoiding common causes of head injuries:
- Fasten your seat belt whenever you're traveling in a car, and be sure children are in age-appropriate safety seats. Children under 13 are safest riding in the back seat, especially if your car has air bags.
- Use helmets whenever you or your children are bicycling, roller-skating, in-line skating, ice-skating, skiing, snowboarding, playing football, batting or running the bases in softball or baseball, skateboarding, or horseback riding. Wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle.
- Take steps around the house to prevent falls, such as removing small area rugs, improving lighting and installing handrails.
References
- Evans RW. Post-concussion syndrome. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 4, 2011.
- Wright DW, et al. Head trauma in adults and children. In: Tintinalli JE, et al. Tintinalli's Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide. 7th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2010. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=6388784. Accessed June 1, 2011.
- Jotwani V, et al. Postconcussion syndrome in athletes. Current Sports Medicine Reports. 2010;9:21.
- DeLee JC, et al. Head injuries. In: DeLee JC, et al. DeLee and Drez's Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?sid=1168525515&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-3143-7..10015-6--s0015&isbn=978-1-4160-3143-7&uniqId=257618564-3. Accessed June 1, 2011.
- Prigatano GP, et al. The current status of postconcussion syndrome. Current Opinion in Psychiatry. 2011;24:243.
- Traumatic brain injury: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/tbi/detail_tbi.htm. Accessed June 4, 2011.
- What you need to know about air bags. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/airbags/airbags03/airbags1.html#1065115450. Accessed July 13, 2011.
- Cicerone KD, et al. Evidence-based cognitive rehabilitation: Updated review of the literature from 2003 through 2008. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2011;92:519.
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