(NC)-Summer's here and many Canadians look forward to jumping on their bikes or strapping on their roller blades and getting outdoors to enjoy the warmer weather.
Unfortunately, thousands of Canadians also sustain serious head
injuries while enjoying their favourite summer sports.
Reducing your risk of sports-related head injuries this
summer is easy: always wear protective headgear. Wearing a
bicycle helmet has been shown to reduce serious head injuries
by 85 percent. Wearing a safety helmet when playing summer
sports is a necessity, not an accessory.
"A properly fitting helmet may lessen the severity of
certain types of head injuries, but even helmets will not
protect your brain from injury when excessive speeds or
careless behaviours are factored in," says Dr. Paul Comper, a
neuropsychologist at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute,
Canada's largest provider of adult rehabilitation services.
"Helmets cannot replace common sense and you still need to
be cautious when enjoying summer sports."
Comper offers these tips to reduce risk of injury:
-  Wear a helmet designed for your sport. Different
sports cause different types of injuries so when choosing a
bicycle helmet for example, make sure it is specifically
designed for cycling, not hockey, skiing, or football,
otherwise you may not get the type of protection you need.
-  Make sure your helmet fits properly. The brim of the
helmet should be about two fingers width (1-2 cm) above your
eyebrows.
-  If your bike helmet rocks forward and back on your
head, it is not the right helmet for you. The helmet should fit
comfortably and snugly, but not too tightly and should sit on
top of your head in a level position. Always keep the helmet
straps buckled.
-  Check and make sure that your helmet has been
approved by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA). A
certification label on your helmet indicates that the helmet
has been tested to withstand certain levels of impact giving
you the best protection that is available.
-  Always replace your helmet after a crash or fall.
Damage may not be seen by looking at the helmet, but the inner
lining may have been destroyed. Cracks or dents mean that you
need a new helmet. When a helmet is five years or older, it
needs to be replaced because the material naturally weakens
over time.
-  Keep your helmet away from heat. Even stored in a
car trunk, a helmet may become unglued and may not give you
effective protection against injury.
For more information visit, www.torontorehab.com .
