What You Need to Know About Kids, Concussions and Recovery, at besmartbewell.com

CHICAGO, Sept. 8, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A night game, a line drive and a ball lost in the lights resulted in a concussion for 13-year-old Nick. He saw a doctor; he spent a few days resting; then, he tried going back to school.

"I had a test the first day and it was really bad," Nick shares in a new video at besmartbewell.com, a health and wellness site. "I felt lightheaded and went home that day, and then stayed home the rest of the week."

Nick's symptoms were his brain's way of telling him he had not recovered from his concussion. Because when it comes to kids and concussions, the key to recovery is rest—physical rest and mental rest, explains Jeffrey Mjaanes, M.D., director of the Chicago Sports Concussion Clinic at Rush University Medical Center.

"The brain needs to recover from a concussion, so it's really important to back off on activities," he explains in the video Kids, Concussions and Recovery. "Several studies have shown that if kids don't adhere to the recommendations of rest, they can take longer to recover." 

In the new video, Dr. Mjaanes explains what happens in the brain during a concussion and why mental rest is so important. Watch Kids, Concussions and Recovery.

What is a sports concussion?
"A lot of people describe a concussion as a bruise in the brain, but what actually happens is there's an injury [that] causes the connections of the nerve cells to break or tear, and that releases all sorts of chemicals in the brain," Dr. Mjaanes explains.

In the days following a concussion, most of the brain's energy is committed to restoring those broken connections and stabilizing chemical imbalances. So taxing it by reading, attempting school work or playing video games can cause symptoms to return or worsen, according to Dr. Mjaanes.

Key to concussion treatment: Rest, Reset, Recover
"Every concussion is different, [but] we can make some general rules to help an athlete recover," Dr. Mjaanes says in the video. "You need physical rest. The second thing is mental rest. Some people might be able to go to school, but not take tests or quizzes. Some people need to be off from school. It needs to be individualized."

How can parents tell how much rest is enough? "Listen to your child," Dr. Mjaanes says. "If going to school worsens their symptoms, they need to stay home. If being out in the light worsens their symptoms, they might need a dark room. Anything that worsens symptoms is something we want to avoid."

Learn More
Besmartbewell.com/tbi/ provides practical information about sports concussions and how to manage concussion symptoms. The website includes:

• Slideshow that outlines "Five Steps to Concussion Recovery"
• Interviews with real teen athletes who have suffered concussions
• A quiz to test how much you understand about concussion recovery

At the site, visitors can also sign up for the bimonthly Spotlight Newsletter and biweekly News Alerts for more in-depth articles and breaking news on concussions and other important health topics.

About Be Smart. Be Well.
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SOURCE Be Smart. Be Well.