CHICAGO, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- A study conducted by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association showed concussion diagnoses among American teenagers skyrocketed from 2010 through 2015.
The report's release comes as football-related injuries receive heightened media coverage in the United States. According to Blue Cross Blue Shield, teenage males enrolled in athletic programs are particularly at risk of developing post-concussion syndrome. Individuals with the disorder can experience headaches or dizziness for weeks and possibly months after sustaining an injury.
The data show a 71 percent increase in concussion diagnoses for patients between 10 and 19 years old. Teenage males are being diagnosed with 49 percent more concussions than their female counterparts. However, the growth of diagnoses rates for young females increased 118 percent compared to 48 percent for males over the 6-year study period.
Despite the increase in concussion diagnoses, BCBSA senior vice president Dr. Trent Haywood says patients are receiving better treatment.
"The study shows that there is more awareness about the seriousness of concussions and that younger individuals are receiving more care for these injuries than in the past," Haywood said in a press release. "But despite greater awareness and new protocols aimed at protecting young athletes, there is still wide variability in the rate of concussions diagnosed from state to state."
The report marks the ninth study in the Blue Cross Blue Shield: The Health of America series. The research is a collaboration between the health insurance giant and Blue Health Intelligence.
