8 Things You Can Do to Help Head Injuries During Sports

Contents:

Medical Video: Concussion / Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Head injury is one of the injuries that can occur in contact sports such as football. This injury can be caused by a collision between the head, a collision between the head and limbs above the opponent (usually the elbow), a collision with the surface of the field, a collision with the ball, a collision with the foot or knee, and a collision with the goalpost.

For you soccer fans, surely you have heard the news about the head injury experienced by Fernando Torres this month. This injury made Torres unconscious. A player immediately provides first aid before the medical team arrives.

You can also help victims of head injuries, whether you play football in a tournament or not. Here are things you can do to help a player who has a head injury before medical personnel arrive.

1. Don't panic!

The main and first thing you need to do when an injury occurs is DO NOT PANIC. When you panic, you will find it difficult to think clearly and it is difficult to make the right decision. If you cannot control your panic, you should let the people around who do not panic to help the victim.

2. Seek medical attention

Regardless of the severity or severity of the injury, seek medical attention immediately so the victim can get treatment as soon as possible. Bleeding epiduralone of the cerebral hemorrhages that can occur after a head injury, can show normal symptoms at some time after injury until finally the victim loses consciousness. To avoid this, medical assistance from professionals is important.

Ask the referee to immediately call the medical team on the side of the field or if you are not in the tournament, call 118 or 119 to get medical emergency assistance.

3. Check whether the victim is aware or not

If the victim is unconscious, free the airway from objects that can clog the airway, such as dirt. When Torres suffered an injury and was knocked unconscious, a player immediately inserted his finger to hold Torres' tongue from falling into the throat and closing the airway (choking on own tongue). But you should avoid this. Just insert your finger to remove the dirt that is visible to you.

Other than that, only insert your finger if you believe the victim is unconscious. If the victim is half conscious, inserting your finger can endanger you. The victim can bite your finger in a semi-conscious state.

First aid provided by other players can be seen in this video:

4. Press the area that has bleeding with a towel or cloth

If there is bleeding, you can fold a towel or cloth until it is thick enough. Then press the area that has bleeding. This can help stop bleeding.

5. When moving the victim, do not move the neck as much as possible

Depending on the mechanism of injury suffered by the victim, a head injury can be accompanied by a neck injury which can result in paralysis of the limbs from the neck down. For that, try to only move the neck to a minimum. It would be better if only trained medical personnel transferred victims for further treatment at an ambulance or hospital.

6. Keep in mind how the injury occurred

Remember the incident that resulted in a head injury. This information is important to assist health workers in determining head injuries such as what the victim experienced, how severe, and which side was injured.

For example, in the case of Torres, you can tell health workers that the victim is running after the ball to make a header, then experience a collision with another player who is running from the back of the victim, then the victim's left side hit the surface

7. Remember whether the victim has some symptoms that need attention

Some things that might be experienced by someone who has a head injury include:

  • amnesia (loss of memory)
  • headache
  • nausea or vomiting
  • feel sleepy
  • seizures
  • bleeding or discharge from the nose and mouth
  • looking nervous
  • limb feels weak or tingling

This information is very important and is commonly asked by health workers for victims who have just had a head injury.

8. Cool compresses in areas that are painful or swollen

Cold compresses can reduce pain and swelling that occurs. You can collect ice cubes in a plastic bag and wrap it in a towel or cloth, then use it to compress in a painful or swollen area.

If a medical assistance team is available in the field, let the medical assistance team provide assistance. Even if you have good intentions, if you are not well trained in providing medical assistance, you can aggravate the injury or hinder the work of the medical team without you realizing it.

The medical team will immediately conduct an examination and first aid, then determine whether the victim can continue the game safely or not.

8 Things You Can Do to Help Head Injuries During Sports
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