November 30, 2007, ST. LOUIS – The recent concussion suffered by St. Louis Rams quarterback Marc Bulger brings awareness to what can be a dangerous issue for young athletes.

Doctors say concussions can have serious, long-lasting effects if they go unchecked. The problem is, not everyone knows how to recognize the signs.

"It’s not like someone comes off the field and they’re holding their leg," says Mark Halstead, MD, sports medicine specialist at the Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University Outpatient Orthopaedic Center in Chesterfield, MO. "Sometimes kids don’t tell us there is an issue going on."

He says too often in football, young athletes think getting hit in the head is part of the game.

"That is not the case," says Dr. Halstead, who is also a team physician with the St. Louis Rams and a pediatric sports medicine specialist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. "A lot of times concussions may get overlooked, because even though the athlete thinks it might not affect their ability to perform in the field, in reality it probably does."

Dr. Halstead is among a growing number of physicians using a computerized test to help diagnose the severity of concussions. Using a series of questions testing memory and recall of words and shapes, Dr. Halstead can more accurately diagnose the level of a concussion.

Still, doctors encourage parents and coaches to know concussion symptoms:

• Loss of Consciousness (although most concussions don''t involve being "knocked out")headache
• Feeling Dizzy/Foggy/Slow
• Trouble thinking, remembering, or concentrating
• Nausea/Vomiting
• Drowsiness/Decreased energy
• Ringing in the ears
• Slurred Speech

For more information about Dr. Halstead or the sports medicine team at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, call 314-TOP-DOCS (867-3627).