How to tell if your child has suffered a concussion

With summer in full swing, many kids and teenagers are heading outside to take part in sports and activities – but this could increase their chances of injury or suffering a concussion.

According to Dr. Isabelle Gagnon, assistant professor at McGill University’s School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, the signs and symptoms of concussion could include headaches, dizziness, vision problems, vomiting and slow answers to questions.

“You can see them if they get back up from being hit and they look a little dizzy or they’re telling you they have headaches, they look a little off. So, you see them getting up in a soccer game and not playing as they did a few minutes ago. Those could be signs of concussions,” Gagnon said.

READ MORE: Canada-wide concussion protocol won’t apply to professional athletes: sports minister

Get weekly health news

Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday.

Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

She recommends visiting a medical professional when these symptoms are present.

“We certainly recommend seeing a physician, a doctor to get a proper diagnosis,” Gagnon said.

“They’ll tell you to rest a couple of days.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "They'll tell you to rest a couple of days."

Gagnon says people should take it easy by not engaging in activities that are risky.

“Take the time to heal as you would if you had a bad cold,” Gagnon said.

READ MORE: Playing with sports concussion doubles recovery time: Study

The next step, Gagnon adds, is to slowly start doing activities again, depending on symptoms.

“You can get up and take a walk if it doesn’t give you more of a headache, you can do a few chores around the house as long as you don’t feel too bad,” Gagnon said.

READ MORE: Liberal government to take stance on concussion legislation

For parents, Gagnon suggests supervising both children and teenagers.

Making sure someone is fully recovered is also important because Gagnon says it avoids a second injury before the first one has healed.

“We want you to recover fully because if you get more and more multiple concussions then we don’t really know what that’ll do later,” Gagnon said.

“We’d like you to be completely recovered before you go back to sports and risk another one.”