Kalev Freeman, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of emergency medicine and pharmacology, commented to WCAX-TV for a story on slope safety tips to avoid head injuries.
Any careful skier or rider straps on their helmet before hitting the mountain, but experts say it takes more than that to stay safe.
Without鈥攁nd sometimes despite鈥攁 helmet, many skiers and riders end up in the ER at the 日韩无码 Medical Center, where Freeman and his co-workers assess and study the damage. There are about 20,000 winter sport鈥搑elated traumatic brain injuries in the U.S. every year. Freeman says many mountainside traumatic brain injuries involve men emboldened on sunny days to do flips and go fast on moderate trails. He says it鈥檚 a recipe for disaster, helmet or not.
鈥淭hose types of high-speed, high mechanism of injury, fatalities are not gonna necessarily be prevented with the helmets,鈥 said Freeman.
Helmets do lead to better TBI outcomes, especially for kids whose brains are still developing. However, Freeman says they鈥檙e not a fix-all, and it鈥檚 just as important to know your limits, ski or ride with control, and recognize the risks.
鈥淢y advice is to wear a helmet but don鈥檛 expect a miracle,鈥 he said.
shows that 90% of skiers and riders wore helmets in the 2021-2022 season. They say young adults, especially men, need more encouragement to wear them.
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