More than 17,000 Iowans receive medical attention for brain injuries each year, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health, and these come from a variety of sources including sports injuries, falls, and car crashes.

Eric Turner with JET Physical Therapy advises what symptoms parents should keep an eye out for regarding concussions if they have a child in sports, “The first and most obvious is if they lose consciousness that is something that needs immediate medical attention. That’s not going to be the case most often, usually an athlete will present with headache, maybe they’re dizzy, they might feel a little nauseous. So if their son or daughter does report those things it’s good to ask some simple questions – what day of the week is it, what day of the month, where are they at in terms of the town the event is located, just some simple things to determine if they’re thinking clearly or not.”

Turner explains if someone is diagnosed with a concussion there are certain steps that need to be taken for recovery including getting plenty of rest, taking a break from electronics, and slowly getting back into exercise. He adds, sometimes symptoms don’t present right away and parents should continue to monitor their children after a bump, blow, or jolt to the head. For more information about concussions in youth athletes listen to the Washington Page with Turner at KCIIRadio.com.