Watch Out for Football Injuries

A football injury can happen all year long. Parents and athletes need to be aware of potential football injuries so they can get treated right away.

Types of Football Injuries in Kids and Adults

Sudden Collisions

Sudden collisions often result in those obvious football injuries: ACL tears, shoulder strains, or even broken bones. At UM Urgent Care, we're prepared to treat many athletic injuries like breaks and sprains; plus, after your visit, we can send your record electronically through to your primary care physician and/or refer you to a specialist in our trusted network.

Concussions

Unfortunately, head injuries are a major concern for football players. The combination of strength and force used when tackling can create some dangerous head or neck injuries. If your child returns home with any symptoms that concern you after a football collision – these symptoms could range from sensitivity to light to memory problems – get them checked out.

When discussing concussions, according to Dr. Burger, "always make sure you have your child evaluated if they have any symptoms of a concussion." At UM Urgent Care, we use state of the art equipment to assist with the diagnosis of concussions as well as to monitor any athlete that has a concussion. It is critical to properly monitor the concussed athlete through a program that gets them back onto the field as quickly and safely as possible; we create an individualized return to play program for each athlete to do just that.

Heat Exhaustion

Especially early in the season when the temperatures are so warm, and athletes are practicing in the heat of the day, heat exhaustion is a real concern. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, extreme sweating and more. It's imperative to get treatment for even mild overheating before it leads to heat stroke, which is considered a medical emergency. Move to a shaded area, remove extra layers of clothing and try to cool your body temperature down.

*please note that heat exhaustion is possible even in areas where the outside temperature doesn't seem "extreme"

Dehydration

Dehydration is often seen in combination with heat exhaustion, but not always. Athletes can experience dehydration when, regardless of how hot it is outside, they are not replenishing the fluids they sweat out. Sometimes, especially in cooler months, athletes might not feel the urgency to rehydrate during workouts because they aren't as hot as during the summer. But, they're certainly sweating and losing fluids so it's important in every season to hydrate frequently before, during, and after workouts.

Whenever you have any concerns about your athlete's symptoms, please call a physician or walk right into UM Urgent Care. We're here for you every day from 8 am until 8 pm for athlete care. Concussion management is also available at select locations to help establish a baseline for your child's brain.