Views on Vision By Dr. Charles A. Boulet

Click on the article headline if you would like to read our entire publication online, in original print format. To leave a comment, click the link at the bottom of this post.

AlbertaConcussion.com - New Service to Help Lessen the Blow of Head Injury in Team Sports
Dr. Charles Boulet and Diamond Valley Vision Care in Black Diamond are proud and excited to launch a new service specifically designed to reduce risks associated with head trauma in amateur sports. The service, AlbertaConcussion.com, provides tools, information and training for coaches, parents and medical professionals to allow them to provide quick and accurate concussion screening measures on the sidelines. Dr. Boulet, an expert in abnormal eye movements, leads the training sessions and provides most of the content for the web site.
AlbertaConcussion.com, and its affiliated site, ConcussionDetection.com are the first stops to learning more. Interested parties can arrange for training sessions and learn how to obtain the testing materials for use with their teams or at their facility.
What is a concussion? A concussion is a brain injury. Concussions are caused by a bump or blow to the head. Even a “ding", “getting your bell rung” or what seems to be a mild bump or blow to the head can be serious. Concussions can also result from a fall or from players colliding with each other or with obstacles. The potential for concussions is greatest in athletic environments where collisions are common. Concussions can occur, however, in any organized or unorganized sport or recreational activity. As many as 400,000 sports and recreation related concussions occur in Canada each year, 10 times as many occur in the United States.
Recognizing a possible concussion: You can see a concussion happen and, unfortunately, some athletes may not report their symptoms. To help recognize a concussion, you should watch for the following two things among your athletes:

•     A forceful blow to the head or body that results in rapid movement of the head.
•     Any change in the athlete's behavior, thinking or physical functioning.

A player may appear healthy and may report good health, but may not be ready to return to play. If, however, there is even mild damage and the player returns to play, even more serious damage can be done.
Of course, any player sustaining a significant blow to the head or showing any signs of concussion should be referred immediately for medical attention. The testing involved takes very little training, is fast and provides an objective measure to determine whether a player should be pulled from play, thereby minimizing risks associated with repeat injury.
The same techniques used in concussion testing can be applied for early detection of visual problems often associated with dyslexia and other reading concerns. More information is available at ConcussionDetection.com and
AlbertaConcussion.com.

Dr. Boulet is a former teacher and now operates Diamond Valley Vision Care in Black Diamond where he continues to work with children with learning difficulties.
Call 403-933-5552.
www.dvvc.ca and www.LearningManagement.ca.