There are between 1.6 million and 3.8 million sports-related concussions per year. The majority of these are from football but as the weather gets warmer children and adults are outside participating in all kinds of athletic activities.

A concussion is an injury to the brain usually caused by a strike or blow to the head and can cause a range of symptoms. A concussion can affect memory, judgment, speech, balance and coordination. Los of consciousness may or may not occur.  Headaches and visual problems could also be a result.

Symptoms that could show up immediately or even a few days later are: irritability, headache, nausea sometimes, ringing in the ears, poor concentration and just plain not acting the same.

If it is a mild concussion there are usually no problems.  But if multiple concussions have been suffered there can be long term affects.  Research is being done in relationship to Alzheimer's causes.

If the brain has been injured and hasn't recovered from a previous concussion, this could be a second-impact syndrome.  With this type of concussion the brain can swell to the point that it has no more room left to expand and this is very dangerous and life-threatening.

Treatment can vary. Watch and wait is usually employed to observe symptoms. A CT scan or MRI may be performed to look at the injury.  It is a good idea for the injured person to quiet down, but no bed rest. Getting them out of an exciting environment, so the brain can heal, is also important.