CHARLOTTE, N.C. — With recent stories about CTE and concussions in the headlines, medical experts are warning athletes who play contact sports to be mindful of their health.
Researchers are finding that the earlier that kids play contact sports like football can coincide with problems later in life. Specifically, they're studying concussions, which is what happens in the short term after a serious hit to the head with certain symptoms like blacking out.
However, they're concerned about repeated impacts to the head that may not amount to a concussion but could be a factor leading to CTE.
Dr. Dan Daneshvar, an assistant professor at Mass General Brigham and Harvard Medical School, said, "When I have patients who have a history of repetitive head impacts over years or even decades, that are now experiencing changes, they're concerned it could be related to a neuro-degenerative process or disease."
He explains that although the symptoms can correlate with what they've researched on CTE, doctors can only diagnose the disease after someone's death during an autopsy.
In the meantime, Dr. Daneshvar tells me that doctors can address symptoms in the short term with a patient so it doesn't create a domino effect.
"In my practice, sometimes we look at people's sleep habits. If they suffer from sleep apnea and it goes untreated, it can cause problems with thinking and with mood. It can even manifest in behavior," he said.
Contact Colin Mayfield at cmayfield@wcnc.com or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.