need some help on concussion info, and helmets

[roostierooster855]

hi, i got a bad concussion 2 months ago in hockey but i think it it all started from the crash i had at the mx track earlier and then kind of re injured it and made it worse in hockey, my crash at the track was pretty nasty, was wearing a one industries helmet just a cheap one 150 bucks, and a leatt brace, after that i remember having a head ache but it went away, then a month and a half later later in hockey i hit a kid so hard actually bent my cage and had headaches after that that came and went and finally went away after 2 days, they were not bad headaches... never occured to me that i had a concussion or a small one atleast, so about a half of month later took a nasty nasty hit, had a headache for two days felt funny so i went to the doc and i had a concussion, then he sent me to a specialist. so this all happened over time a i still have a headache every day and its been about 3 months since the last hit, just went back to the specialist to see whats going on and so i got a mri yesterday and still waiting for results, i got another dr appointment scheduled for a neurologist a month from now and he should determine whats causing my headaches. but from what i know theres concussions that last for a day to a week, to months.... it all depends. im wondering will a more expensive helmet protect me better from concussions, not that ill be riding soon cause its winter but would like to know, i actually dont know if ill be riding come spring time because of the headaches and stuff...... the doc said no contact or hockey for that untill we get things fugured out....

[Piney Woods]

hi, i got a bad concussion 2 months ago in hockey but i think it it all started from the crash i had at the mx track earlier and then kind of re injured it and made it worse in hockey, my crash at the track was pretty nasty, was wearing a one industries helmet just a cheap one 150 bucks, and a leatt brace, after that i remember having a head ache but it went away, then a month and a half later later in hockey i hit a kid so hard actually bent my cage and had headaches after that that came and went and finally went away after 2 days, they were not bad headaches... never occured to me that i had a concussion or a small one atleast, so about a half of month later took a nasty nasty hit, had a headache for two days felt funny so i went to the doc and i had a concussion, then he sent me to a specialist. so this all happened over time a i still have a headache every day and its been about 3 months since the last hit, just went back to the specialist to see whats going on and so i got a mri yesterday and still waiting for results, i got another dr appointment scheduled for a neurologist a month from now and he should determine whats causing my headaches. but from what i know theres concussions that last for a day to a week, to months.... it all depends. im wondering will a more expensive helmet protect me better from concussions, not that ill be riding soon cause its winter but would like to know, i actually dont know if ill be riding come spring time because of the headaches and stuff...... the doc said no contact or hockey for that untill we get things fugured out....

Trust your DR. and do EXACTLY what he says. I have been there, this is very important if you care about the rest of your life and relations with family, kids, etc. Take this SERIOUSLY! Good luck.

[Piney Woods]

hi, i got a bad concussion 2 months ago in hockey but i think it it all started from the crash i had at the mx track earlier and then kind of re injured it and made it worse in hockey, my crash at the track was pretty nasty, was wearing a one industries helmet just a cheap one 150 bucks, and a leatt brace, after that i remember having a head ache but it went away, then a month and a half later later in hockey i hit a kid so hard actually bent my cage and had headaches after that that came and went and finally went away after 2 days, they were not bad headaches... never occured to me that i had a concussion or a small one atleast, so about a half of month later took a nasty nasty hit, had a headache for two days felt funny so i went to the doc and i had a concussion, then he sent me to a specialist. so this all happened over time a i still have a headache every day and its been about 3 months since the last hit, just went back to the specialist to see whats going on and so i got a mri yesterday and still waiting for results, i got another dr appointment scheduled for a neurologist a month from now and he should determine whats causing my headaches. but from what i know theres concussions that last for a day to a week, to months.... it all depends. im wondering will a more expensive helmet protect me better from concussions, not that ill be riding soon cause its winter but would like to know, i actually dont know if ill be riding come spring time because of the headaches and stuff...... the doc said no contact or hockey for that untill we get things fugured out....

Trust your DR. and do EXACTLY what he says. I have been there, this is very important if you care about the rest of your life and relations with family, kids, etc. Take this SERIOUSLY! Good luck.

[roostierooster855]

i know thanks, and if any one has any info on this they would like to share feel free

[GreenHornet450]

You have the time now to take it easy.Permanent Drain Bamage is a terrible thing, so play the X Games Crap on XBox for the time being. Feel better and have a Merry New Year and a Happy Christmas.

[T4-Fast_Guy]

A better helmet would be a huge help! TLD, Shoei, Arai. Top brands with great reputations. Not to bag on you (or anyone else) Why, Why, Why, do people not spend the money on their safety equipment? I know nothing is perfect in all situations but I'm always amazed that guys spend all this money on pipes, silencers, porting anodized bling, etc but want the cheapest helmet they can get. I'm sorry dude I don't want you think I'm directing this at you. I just needed to vent!

Buy a quality helmet and protect yourself as much as possible. I have been in you situation and as others have said, listen to your Dr...... Hope you heal up and enjoy your time off.

[heythatsmybike]

i have been concussed recently myself!

i don't know if price matters, but when i replaced my helmet, i went for one that cost twice as uch as the previous. If anything, it makes me feel better about how protected my head is!

[dbart250]

There is no such thing as a concussion proof helmet. A nice one may fit better and be lighter, but no helmet can stop your brain from hitting your skull. Helmets are designed to deflect impacts and reduce external damage, but CANNOT do much for your brain when it comes to the speeds you deal with.

What people dont understand about concussions is that headaches are like a muscle ache for your brain. If you jacked your knee and it was swollen and weak, youd reduce the time spent on it, i.e. use crutches or stay off it. A brain works constantly, day and night, therefore never really rests. It takes so much visual, balance, and muscular input to ride a bike that your injured brain is way over worked.

To get back to your question, upgrade your helmet. There will be less chance of it failing and leaving your bare brainbucket exposed should there be an accident. But as of now, id rest your brain. Meaning: lay off high concentration tasks like cell phone amd video games. Avoid loud noises and stimulating lights. It sucks, its hard to do, but its your best chance of quickly recovering. Concussions get worse as they compound. Think of it like a bruise on your arm you keep bumping; left alone its ok, keep bumpin it and your symptoms increase.

Sorry for the long wind, but if theres anything i can contribute to TT its this. This is all i do every day. Good luck and lay low.

[intensem1rider]

Definitely upgrade to the best helmet you can afford to put on your head. I had no problem sinking about $15,000 into my bike, and when I thought about it, I realized I put all this money into a machine without a second thought. Yet, I would really hate spending money on protection gear at the same time. After a few surgeries, and a few more needed, too many bumps, bruises, scrapes, and the many concussions, I have changed my thought on safety gear. The motorbike is a toy, the protective gear protects me from getting hurt so I can continue to afford the toys and life in general.

So I made the decision that from now on I will only by the best protection available. I have over $2500 in protective gear on me when I ride, and I don't regret one penny of it.

[bowhunter007]

A better helmet would be a huge help! TLD, Shoei, Arai. Top brands with great reputations. Not to bag on you (or anyone else) Why, Why, Why, do people not spend the money on their safety equipment? I know nothing is perfect in all situations but I'm always amazed that guys spend all this money on pipes, silencers, porting anodized bling, etc but want the cheapest helmet they can get. I'm sorry dude I don't want you think I'm directing this at you. I just needed to vent!

Buy a quality helmet and protect yourself as much as possible. I have been in you situation and as others have said, listen to your Dr...... Hope you heal up and enjoy your time off.

I always tell local newbies: Spend you hard earned money on quality safety equipment, before you mod your bike. Damn kids! They rarely listen.

[jayc250x]

im wondering will a more expensive helmet protect me better from concussions,

No, expensive helmets do NOT protect better than inexpensive ones. Expensive helmets are lighter, and have better paint jobs, but they all meet the same specs as far as protection goes. In fact, most of the expensive helmet shells are made on the same factory lines that the cheap ones are.

In all seriousness, take a year off from both riding and hockey.

JayC

[dbart250]

Look at colt mccoy and sid crosby. They had the best equipment their sport could offer and still have concussions. There are too many factors in play that a helmet will ever compensate for.

[T4-Fast_Guy]

No, expensive helmets do NOT protect better than inexpensive ones. Expensive helmets are lighter, and have better paint jobs, but they all meet the same specs as far as protection goes. In fact, most of the expensive helmet shells are made on the same factory lines that the cheap ones are.

In all seriousness, take a year off from both riding and hockey.

JayC

Jay......where the heck did you get this info from? I sell helmets for a living and I can tell you that this is unequivocally and absolutely false!

Dual density (or in the case of TLD, 3 density) EPS liners, superior shell materials and molding techniques, and multiple density head liners and cheekpads is just some of what sets a good high end helmet apart from the rest. A guy from Snell once told me this...tell me how you are going to crash and I'll build you the perfect helmet.

As to guys in the NFL getting concussions, well, football helmet technology is so far behind what we have available in the powersports industry. There are many factors for this and no real good, immediate answers.

[dbart250]

As to guys in the NFL getting concussions, well, football helmet technology is so far behind what we have available in the powersports industry. There are many factors for this and no real good, immediate answers.

I agree, however no football player hits the ground from 50 feet in the air at 40mph, so they better be. Bottom line: high end helmets are better, BUT, OP listen up, they will not stop another concussion. You more than likely already had multiple concusions if your symptoms are still there. Hockey especially, you hit and get hit purposely, far more times than youd need your helmet for in motocross. And that helmet is designed only to keep your head from splitting hitting the dashers

[pieplatesnductape]

Jay......where the heck did you get this info from? I sell helmets for a living and I can tell you that this is unequivocally and absolutely false!

Dual density (or in the case of TLD, 3 density) EPS liners, superior shell materials and molding techniques, and multiple density head liners and cheekpads is just some of what sets a good high end helmet apart from the rest. A guy from Snell once told me this...tell me how you are going to crash and I'll build you the perfect helmet.

As to guys in the NFL getting concussions, well, football helmet technology is so far behind what we have available in the powersports industry. There are many factors for this and no real good, immediate answers.

T4 before you state fact, you should research DOT VS Snell, VS ECE etc.

Are you aware of the "blowing the lid off" test done by motorcyclist in 2005 where a cheap polycarbonate Z1R did far far better in G force testing than an expensive Arai? Price is not always indicative of performance. In this case its inversely so. The new dual eps etc sounds promising, and Snell 2010 has made a small step in the right direction, but we don't have any new testing data to back up our assumptions of which helmet is the best at reducing G force.

Features, comfort, fit, style, yes of course this is all high dollar territory no question. G forces? That may still belong to the polycarbs for all we know.

[jayc250x]

Jay......where the heck did you get this info from? I sell helmets for a living and I can tell you that this is unequivocally and absolutely false!

No it isn't.

I'll defer to the old stock-picker's adage, "Never take advice from someone whose financial incentives are 100% at odds with yours".

JayC

[MaxPower]

Only an opinon not backed up facts

A lighter helmet is going to carry weight to come to a stop upon impact.

Id rather fall down a flight of stairs with a bag of pop corn in my hand than a bag of cement

I would also think a more expensive helmet would have a better material to absorb impact inside the shell.

[dbart250]

Keep in mind you dont need a blow to the head to get a concussion. A concussion is caused by the brain hitting the skull, nothing else. If you whiplash without hitting your head, you can still have trauma. If you hit your head with a 20 vs a 200 helmet, same story. Some could argue a heavier helmet would absorb more impact by itself before transferring it to your head. Dont get me wrong, you still need a good helmet and replace it if impacted. But dont get a false sense of security.

If you have symptoms dont ride or play hockey. Especially in motocross, you are a danger to others if your judgment is off.

[fivepointnine]

the NHTSA conducts random off the shelf helmet tests and the Poly (ie cheaper) shelled helmets usually dissipate the impact better, look up their tests if you do not believe me, I HATE people saying that I HAVE to buy a $500 Arai helmet, and here is a fun tidbit of info, 75% of helmet shells are made by KBC, cheaper ones in China and nicer ones (carbon/kevlar, etc) in Korea. They all have to meet the standards and be able to pass random tests.

of course a Helmet SALESMAN will try and sell you the most expensive helmet.

magazines have conducted test after test and have never found anything conclusive justifying an expensive helmet.

by far and away the most important aspect of a helmet is FIT!

I have a shelf full of helmets and I normally ride with my carbon/kevlar Oneal 9 series when its hot and my Fox V2 when its cooler out, I did not spend more than $200 on either of them. I have had some pretty horrific crashes in Poly shelled helmets and never had more than a short headache (that was the wreck where I broke 3 ribs and popped my shoulder/tore my rotator cuff)

[T4-Fast_Guy]

No it isn't.

I'll defer to the old stock-picker's adage, "Never take advice from someone whose financial incentives are 100% at odds with yours".

JayC

Thats the problem Jay....your aged thinking. Helmet Technology has come soooo far these days the old school train of thought no longer applies. And quite frankly I take great offense to your comment. I have nothing to gain by offering my advice or expertise to the less knowledgeable on this forum other than that my advice may save someone from great suffering one day. :cripple:I have spent my almost my entire life (41 of my 46 years) riding and racing motorcycles and the last 20 working in the industry. I don't know it all but more than most and certainly more than you.

Here is a little video to back up new helmet technology's https://www.troyleedesigns.com/product.php?cat=37&id=20110