LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- High school sports are in full swing, and head injuries are one of the biggest concerns.

Dr. Tad Seifert with Norton Health joined WDRB Mornings Friday to discuss the warning signs to watch out for and why it's critically important not to ignore the symptoms of a concussion.

Dr. Seifert is an independent neurotrauma consultant for the NFL and heads the NCAA Headache Task Force. He also serves on the board of directors for the National Headache Foundation. Currently, Seifert is the team neurologist for several Kentucky and Indiana colleges. He also is chairman of the Kentucky Boxing & Wrestling Commission's Medical Advisory Panel.

It's often painfully obvious when someone has suffered a concussion, but sometimes the signs are easy to miss. 

"When you think about concussions, there's always the obvious signs that everyone always thinks about: confusion, headache, off balance. But a lot of the more subtleties are someone will have a change of personality. Someone that's usually very calm will become really irritable or hyper. Or someone that's really usually amped up, it will be the opposite. They become very quiet, almost lethargic -- or almost catatonic to some degree.

"And that's where we always preach about the importance of athletic trainers and having those medically trained individuals on site with the team because the best job of anyone in being able to identify those subtle personality changes that sometimes others don't."

Parents are the next line of defense when it comes to detecting those subtle personality changes. 

"It comes back to knowing the athlete, and nobody knows that athlete more than the parent," Seifert said. "So anytime that there's anything that seems off after there's been some sort of context where they've been exposed to head trauma, I always suggest that they err on the side of caution. And not necessarily immediately go to the emergency room, but at least reach out to a friend that's a medical provider, or go to urgent care, or just get that other set of eyes to look at them, just to get another objective outlook on things."

Athletes typically seek treatment for a concussion when they experience the following symptoms:

  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Confusion
  • Memory loss
  • Difficulty concentrating

The way concussions are handled has come a long way from the times when athletes who took hard hits got right back up to show their toughness. 

"Thankfully that's one thing that's really changed a lot," Seifert said. "You think back to the NFL era of the 70s, 80s and even the early 90s, it is a completely different process now...

Even just the last two or three years, the majority of concussions that were diagnosed last year in the NFL were initially due to self-reported symptoms from either the athlete or one of their teammates. Whereas 15 or 20 years ago, it was someone that had to be identified from sideline medical staff. And they had to approach them and actually remove them from the game. So the athletes are getting more proactive in reporting those symptoms when they come about." 

There are a number of steps to take when treating concussions.

"The primary thing without question is removing them from further contact exposure so that that situation cannot get worse," Seifert said. "And then it's very much patient- and athlete-dependent from there on.

"Someone that has predominantly complaints in the realm of headache, it's headache specific treatment. There's vestibular type symptoms -- being off balance, being dizzy. There are specific therapies to help with that. There are more visual focused complaints, and there are very specific visual therapies now that can be done. So it's a wide range, and very much tailored to the patient. 

Norton Sports Health uses ImPACT (immediate postconcussion assessment and cognitive testing) software. It's a computer-based test helps specialists determine the extent of a concussion and make safe return-to-play decisions. Norton Neuroscience Institute Sports Neurology Center specialists strive to treat patients within 48 to 72 hours of injury.

Norton Neuroscience Institute Sports Neurology Center uses a treadmill, elliptical, stationary bike, heavy bag and other sports-specific equipment to assist with baseline and postinjury testing, visual and vestibular therapy and telemedicine capabilities. This allows for seamless care during recovery.

Norton Sports Health also offers injury clinics to aid in the diagnosis of concussion. Saturday Sports Injury Clinics aim to address the needs of the fall sport athlete, including football and soccer. The clinic is staffed with orthopedic specialists, neurologists and athletic trainers. The clinic provides access to a full range of diagnostic tools.

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