Women Are More At Risk For Concussions Than Men

While pro football players having concussions has been in the news recently, women may be more at risk than men. It turns out that women have smaller frames and neck muscles than men, which may make them more prone to concussions.

In addition, once a woman is injured, the effects can be much more severe. A 2010 study found that women took longer than men to recover from concussions. This was especially true for women of child-bearing age. Women also performed worse than men with comparable injuries on neurological tests.

Part of the problem is that women may ignore their concussion’s symptoms thinking things will get better. Here are the symptoms of a concussion:

Headaches
Dizziness
Trouble concentrating
Feeling over-stimulated by lights and noises
Memory loss, especially of the accident itself

So if you’re a woman and have had an accident, if you have one of these symptoms, then get yourself to a doctor.

(Reported Prevention January 2011)