Canadian researcher helps define new standards for diagnosing concussions
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Recognizing and properly diagnosing concussions has also been an issue in clinical settings. A Canadian researcher hopes that will change with a new diagnostic standard he helped develop.
Remembering what happened after she hit her head on the ice while playing hockey is tough for Meg Kerekes, but she knows how that particular headache felt -- "like a one-pound weight on the spot that got hit."
"I forget if they took me out or if I finished the rest of the game. I think I might have finished the game," she said of the suspected concussion in September 2018 when she was playing amateur hockey during her high school years in Vancouver.
Her coach, who doubled as the person in charge of safety, suggested she stop playing and mentioned she may have a concussion.
"I didn't go to a doctor or anything. They just didn't let me play for two weeks," said Kerekes, who suffered another hit to the head five months later when an opposing player slammed into her.
Her mother took her to hospital after the second incident on the coach's orders, where a suspected concussion was confirmed and Kerekes was out of school for 10 days. She returned to "light" hockey practice, but no games, three weeks later.
Coaches and other volunteers in amateur sports need to be more aware of concussion risks, said Kerekes, who still gets a slight headache sometimes from just shaking her head while listening to music.
Recognizing and properly diagnosing concussions has also been an issue in clinical settings. A Canadian researcher hopes that will change with a new diagnostic standard he helped develop.
