Concussions, There's An App For That!

CBS 19 talks to Trinity Clinic Sports Medicine Dr. Cathy Fieseler about a new concussion app.

TYLER - It's been a popular marketing push for Apple, 'there's an app for that,' and in this case, it's true.

A new app that was authored in part by a neuropsychologist and is now available with the claim to help assess concussions.

Parents want to make sure their kids have all the right equipment to stay safe on the field, but if they do take a hit to the head, there's a new program that claims it can help assess how bad the injury could be.

High school football players, like Britton Ezell jump at the chance to train and move on to the next level.

"Get a lot stronger, keep bodies in shape,"says Ezell.

He knows first hand, one wrong move on the field could cost more than the game.

"Feel really dizzy and got really nauseous, threw up on the sidelines and they pulled me out. I was diagnosed with a concussion," says Ezell.

That happened at the Robert E. Lee-John Tyler game last year.

Now there's an app that could speed up the process on assessing damage by checking off symptoms.

"Doctor already knows what to expect, lot of this - kids coming in, they'll get a jump start on it. Quicker resolve the problem, the better," says Kelly Hitchcock, Ezell's trainer.

"It's trying to put something in your pocket that's not so easy to do," says Dr. Cathy Fieseler with mother Frances sports medicine.

Although the app directly states it's not intended to replace seeking help, Dr. Fieseler says any head injury should be addressed as a concussion.

"Whether it's a headache, little bit of blurred vision, difficulty with remembering, any symptom at all - that's a concussion, period. End of story," says Dr. Fieseler.

"I think it's a good tool, but there's nothing that takes the place of a one-on-one consult with a doctor.

So you know when to take a player out of the game," says Hitchcock.

"As a player, you want to play always," says Ezell.

To protect their future.

Even with new technology, like cable systems that conform cushions inside the helmet to your head, doctors say a heavy hit means your child should sit out, and be checked out.

That app can store past incident information on a person.

It costs about $4.

Category:

Science & Technology

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• Trinity
• Mother
• Frances
• Hospitals
• Clinics
• Sports
• Medicine
• Cathy
• Fieseler
• Concussions