PROBLEM: Your riding partner skidded on wet leaves in a curve and fell hard. He cracked his helmet and felt dizzy and disoriented. This scared you because you didn’t know what to do.
SOLUTION: When you or a friend suffers a concussion, it’s vital to determine the seriousness and act quickly. For recommendations, we asked Fred’s brother, Mike Matheny. He’s a cyclist who is Clinical Professor/Head Athletic Trainer in the Department of Exercise Science and Athletic Training at Ithaca College in upstate NY.
Head trauma can be frightening, says Mike, because symptoms may change rapidly. Look for any of the following indicators of a serious injury:
—blood or cerebro-spinal fluid (it’s straw-colored) coming from the nose or ears
—uneven pupil size
—nausea and/or vomiting
—loss of consciousness
If any of these are present, immediately call for medical help. If you don’t have a phone, flag down a motorist. Keep your friend quiet and warm as best you can. Don’t move an unconscious person because there’s also the chance of neck or spinal injury.
Sometimes symptoms are less pronounced but they can be just as serious. These include inability to maintain balance, a severe or worsening headache, and confused or inappropriate responses to what’s happening at the scene.
Even if none of these conditions are initially present, keep an eye on the person for several hours after the fall. If it was you who got conked, tell someone at home what happened in case you start having a problem.
It’s better to be safe than sorry. If you or someone else in your group hits their head, don’t try to tough it out. Call it a day and get a ride home. Your reaction time will be slower and you might be dizzy or off balance and could easily crash again.
Not enough. TBI is serious. If you have a concussion, you have a TBI. You need to be evaluated, you need rest, and you need to let your body recover BEFORE you ride again. Many, many studies on this.
In case anyone else has this question (I didn’t know this): TBI stand for Traumatic Brain Injury.
Thanks for the comment, Dave.
Jim Langley
It is the patronizing ignorance. I was treated like a retarded child, I was held fo three months with no check out date. The big fear was reinjury. They also pulled my drivers license.
I should have been taken to a cheap beach condo, spent my days on long walks and playing frisbee. Shopping and cooking is good cognitive therapy, I played a lot of scrabble.
Any such injury should be checked out at the hospital. I have a friend who went down, was out for several minutes. Both I (an EMT) and another rider (an MD) gave her the proper field test for concussion, which she passed with flying colors. As a precaution, she was transported to the hospital for evaluation, where she was diagnosed with a concussion and told to stay off the bike for at least 3 days (we were on a cross-USA ride). To this day, she has no recollection of the fall or the hour after it.
Take no chances with this type of injury.
In 2013 had a crash, went down fell on the edge of the seat. Cracked the helmet, but was not noticed till later.
Had no problem passing the tests for concussion
Had a fractured Pelvis and a small bleed in the brain. Was told the guide lines for this injury was under 4mm
would resolve its self. No follow up was recommended. Two months later started loosing function on left side.
Had a MRI and was told I should get to Hospital immediately The 3mm bleed had grown to 3 CM.
Had Craniotomy the next day, and Surgeon said it had displaced Brain 7MM.
Function returned almost immediately..
I would urge all the have have a follow up after any concussion.