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Studies show female athletes suffer different concussion symptoms

girls-soccer

Concussions are on the rise among ALL young athletes in the U.S.; however girls might run a higher risk of suffering concussions vs. their male counterparts participating in the same sports.

A new study in the Journal of Athletic Training found that in high school soccer, girls sustained this type of head trauma 68% more often than boys did. Female concussion rates in

high school basketball were almost three times higher, and girls took longer to recover and return to play compared with boys.

Concussion symptoms differ between girls and boys. Researchers studied 812 reported concussions from 100 high schools across the nation and found that girls were more likely to suffer neurobehavioral and somatic symptoms, namely drowsiness and sensitivity to noise, than boys. Male high school athletes were more likely to report cognitive symptoms, particularly amnesia and disorientation

From an anatomical perspective, men have stronger and more developed neck muscles; this allows them to better absorb a blow to the head. Girls’ neck muscles are not as developed, and because of this they might be at a higher risk and suffer more serious concussions.

We need to continue to educate our parents, coaches and primary physicians on recognizing the signs and symptoms of concussions. The more we understand that concussions are a very serious injury the more we can do to address them.