EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. — While most of us are keeping an eye on coronavirus and the fall flu season, health experts at Lehigh Valley Health Network are focusing on another big health issue: concussions.
LVHN is now offering what it calls the first concussion and head trauma program on Plaza Court in East Stroudsburg.
"Many years ago, we thought that concussions could be waited out. You could just watch the patient— we call it watch and wait. But now we know through much science and research that concussions are not that. They are not a time-related treatment. They are instead an active rehab diagnosis," said Daniele Shollenberger, the program director at LVHN.
Shollenberger says LVHN planned to bring this program to the Poconos earlier this year, but the pandemic delayed the process.
A concussion can be caused by sports injuries, falls, workplace injuries, and other accidents.
Diagnosing a concussion can be tricky, so Shollenberger says having this program in the Pocono region can help many people.
"There's no one specific diagnostic test, there's no one specific lab result, blood test or scan that can confirm a concussion."
Shollenberger tells Newswatch 16 that when a patient comes in, a detailed and focused evaluation will be done by concussion specialists.
"With concussion, we rely on the presence of symptoms and we perform a very detailed examination to identify the signs of concussion. That examination includes a physical examination, a neurological examination, an examination to evaluate for dizziness, and test balance as some components of the exam."
Health experts say if you suffered a blow to the head and have any one or several ongoing symptoms including headaches, dizziness, imbalance, or sensitivity to noise or light, you should be evaluated.