Winter sports like skiing, ice skating, snowboarding, and ice climbing aren't just really exciting — these cool-weather workouts also, in fact, offer some unique health benefits. In colder temperatures, you don't sweat as much, and your heart has an easier time keeping up with the workouts, too. That means playing winter sports is an excellent way to improve stamina and fitness.
Unfortunately, however, winter sports also have a darker side. Like any other type of sport, they can lead to injuries, and some of those have a life-long impact. While parents would certainly be health-minded in encouraging their children and teenagers to keep active in winter workouts, the potential for traumatic brain injury is one hazard that should definitely be on their radar.
What are traumatic brain injuries?
So-called traumatic brain injuries are events in which sudden jolts, blows, or contact with sharp objects causes brain damage. This damage may be entirely short-term in nature, and patients may recover without any medical treatment. That is not always the case, however. Examples of traumatic brain injuries include:
- Concussions. Perhaps the most well-known example, do not make the mistake of thinking that concussions are harmless. Common early symptoms are headaches, dizziness, temporary loss of consciousness, confusion, and nausea, but a concussion can also cause permanent neurological changes, and the risk goes up with every subsequent concussion.
- Second impact syndrome, in which the brain of someone who sustains another concussion before fully healing from the previous one is subject to severe inflammation that can sometimes prove to be fatal. Snow skiing and ice hockey are two examples of winter sports that feature an especially high risk of second impact syndrome.
- In extreme cases, patients who suffer a traumatic brain injury may fall into a coma. They may wake up and gradually recover, or they may not.
Just how dangerous are winter sports for children and teenagers — how high is the risk of TBI?
Somewhere between 1.7 and 3.8 million traumatic brain injuries occur in the United States alone every year. In adults, sports-related activities are the culprit in only around 10 percent of cases. Among children and teenagers, however, that percentage rises to over 20 — not really surprising, given that they won't be participating in the hazardous occupations that cause so many adults to suffer from brain injuries.
Although using protective helmets — the step most likely to protect people engaging in winter sports — is becoming more common, traumatic brain injuries remain a leading cause of death and disability alike for people who love winter sports, especially skiers and snow boarders. Unfortunately, young people under 24 are among the groups least likely to wear a helmet correctly.
What can parents do to prevent winter sports injuries in their children and teens?
Wearing a protective helmet — something that wil be mandated in some jurisdictions but by no means everywhere — has been controversial, with some arguing that the practice does not prevent traumatic brain injuries. Helmet usage doesn't, it's true, provide complete safety. A helmet should never be seen as a ticket to take risky actions that you would have avoided without one. At the same time, research has shown that wearing a helmet does reduce an athlete's risk of head injury while playing winter sports.
Education is another important component, as studies have found, not surprisingly, that less skilled athletes are more likely to suffer from traumatic brain injuries — right alongside those who engage in especially risky behaviors, like off-piste skiing. If you're the parent of a child who is into skiing, snowboarding, or any other winter sport, ensuring that they are properly educated about the risks as well as becoming skillful in their chosen sports will help keep your children safe.
Prevention is better than cure, of course, but statistics indicate that traumatic brain injuries are likely to be underdiagnosed in people practicing winter sports. It is important, therefore, to seek medical attention after a blow to the head, a fall, or another impact injury — especially in the presence of tell-tale symptoms such as pain, memory loss, confusion, light sensitivity, blurred vision, irritable behavior, and loss of consciousness. After a TBI — even a concussion — is diagnosed, it is crucial for the athlete to get the green light from their treating physician before returning to winter sports or any other athletic activities.
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