POST-CONCUSSION SYNDROME
What is PCS?
Post-concussion syndrome (PCS) is a condition where symptoms following a brain injury last three months or longer. Athletes may not return to play while PCS is present and those who suffer from it have an increased risk of depression.
What are the symptoms?
Those who suffer from PCS experience ongoing symptoms that can include light and noise sensitivity, headache, nausea, irritability, fatigue, anxiety, depression, cognitive problems involving memory, concentration, and thinking.
What is the treatment?
Most people are able to recover with rest and minimizing stress. Additionally, health care providers may treat a PCS patient's symptoms with medication, physical therapy, vestibular therapy, psychotherapy and/or neurotherapy.
What should everyone be aware of?
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Children and teens are more likely to get a traumatic brain injury (TBI), including concussion, and take longer to recover than adults.
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TBI symptoms may appear mild, but the injury can lead to significant life-long impairment affecting an individual's memory, behavior, learning and/or emotions. Appropriate diagnosis, management and education are critical for helping young athletes with a TBI recover quickly and fully.
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During the last decade, ED visits for sports- and recreation-related TBIs, including concussions, among children and adolescents increased by 60%.
"I used to think basketball was my life, but there is a big difference between what defines your life and what your passion is. A sport is just that, a passion. Your faith, family and your friends...that's your life."
--Kylee Bliss (written on June 6, 2014, late one night when she couldn't sleep, another PCS symptom)
Kylee Bliss is 24 years old, graduated from Blue Valley High School in 2014, Saint Luke's College of Nursing in 2019 and is now a Critical Care Nurse at a Kansas City area hospital. She sustained two concussions within two months while playing basketball her sophomore year at BVHS and is no longer allowed to play any contact sports which were a major part of her life and what she thought defined her as a person. She learned that isn't the case and while it was a long road of recovery, she realized something great has come out of the experience. She has a passion for sharing her experience to help prevent post-concussion syndrome and provide support to those who are suffering. Click below to read her story.
Latest news and helpful research
November 15, 2018
Concussions linked to post-diagnosis suicide risk
Important new study released
An assessment of studies involving more than 7 million individuals has found an association between concussions, mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), and risk of suicide.
October 02, 2018
Concussion rate dropped in Ivy League football after kickoff change, study indicates
The New York Times (10/2, Mervosh) reports that after the Ivy League changed its kickoff rules for football games in 2016, “adjusting the kickoff and touchback lines by just five yards,” from the 35-yard line to the 40-yard line, “the rate of concussions per 1,000 kickoff plays fell to two from 11, according to the study, which was published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association."
September 13, 2018
White paper suggests emphasis on flag football before age 14.
According to the Wall Street Journal (9/13, Bachman, Subscription Publication), the nonpartisan Aspen Institute issued a white paper this week recommending that youngsters avoid playing tackle football before entering high school to prevent injuries to their growing brains. The report suggested that youth football associations should instead place their emphasis on flag football.
February 19, 2018
FDA approves first blood test that can help diagnose traumatic brain injuries
Long awaited test aids in detection of concussion
The New York Times reports that on Feb. 14, the Food and Drug Administration “approved a long-awaited blood test to aid in the detection of concussions in people and more quickly identify those with possible brain injuries.”
Saint Luke’s White Coat & Pinning Ceremony October 2017
Kylee was the recipient of the Service Excellence Award - Prevention from the Brain Injury Association of Missouri (BIA-MO) Oct. 6, 2018.
In April 2019, Kylee graduated from Saint Luke's College of Nursing with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing.
