Sports are a popular way to exercise, be part of a team, and to compete. However, these activities also have inherent dangers when players collide or other kinds of accidents occur. In some cases, an athlete’s head can be hit, which can cause damage to the brain.

Athletes can run the risk of sustaining a brain injury in youth sports all the way to the elite level. While protocols and equipment can help protect athletes, these methods are able to be improved because brain injuries still occur. Recently, the FDA authorized marketing of the Q-Collar, which may help protect athletes from suffering the debilitating effects of multiple impacts to the head.

When a person suffers from an injury to their brain, they will require serious treatment and care to ensure that they make as full of a recovery as possible. Your brain is the most important organ in your body because it controls every part of you—both consciously and subconsciously. After a brain injury, you’ll need specific care so that you can heal and get back to your regular functioning.

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) affect nearly three million people in the United States every year. Assessing the severity of a TBI is challenging. A number of diagnostic tests are run to determine how the brain has been affected and what can be done to help the patient recover. Common tests include the Glasgow Coma Scale, speech and language testing, CT scans, MRIs, and intracranial pressure monitoring.

Head injuries should never be taken lightly. It’s important to seek medical attention immediately if you believe you’ve sustained any type of head or brain injury. To understand the defining factors of a traumatic brain injury, let’s take a look at how the injuries happen, the common types, the effects, and what recovery may look like.