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Doctors warn of increase in concussions with student-athletes

Posted at 8:50 AM, Sep 14, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-14 08:50:51-04

INDIANAPOLIS -- A simple hit to the head can do serious damage to a student or professional athlete. And with school back up, and full-contact sports like soccer in full-force, doctors say they're already noticing an increase in patients coming to them with potential concussions.

For IUPUI junior soccer player Braegon Lyon, concussions are all too familiar. 

"I've had two or three and another one could possibly end my career," she said. "My mom definitely cringes."

A concussion landed her in the hospital last year, under the care of IU Health sports medicine specialist Dr. Kimbre Zahn.

"She gave me it's called the impact test," Lyon said. "You get words, then you have to memorize them after a certain time, so your months backwards. Just remembering three words was hard. It was apple, orange, banana and I couldn't remember them -- sometimes so it was scary."

Zahn said there's no specific threshold that can cause a concussion.

"We do know that the more concussions get it over your lifetime, probably the easier it is to get another one," Zahn said. "The longer the symptoms are going to last and maybe the more severe your symptoms are going to be."

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