Golfers be fore-warned: If a ball smacks your head, see your doctor

A crash test dummy is hit with golf balls to measure the force of impact.  ALSO: Mayo Clinic: Golf - Training and technique to avoid injuries

May 21, 1999
Web posted at: 1:15 p.m. EDT (2050 GMT)

From Medical Correspondent Dr. Steve Salvatore

HILTON HEAD, South Carolina (CNN) -- Golf can be a healthy way to exercise and have fun, but it can also lead to severe injuries.

According to government statistics, more than 300,000 people have suffered serious golf injuries over the past few years. Many of these required hospitalization; others were fatal.

"The most common injuries that most folks are reporting to the emergency rooms across the country are actually related to head and face impact issues -- either the ball or the club actually impacting the face or head," said Dr. Dave Janda of the Institute for Preventative Sports Medicine.

Experts say most injured golfers ignore their injuries and continue to play.

"If you're having headaches, blurred vision, double vision, nausea, vomiting, ringing in the ears, you need to be evaluated by trained medical personnel," Janda said. "These head injuries can actually smolder over time and can lead to catastrophic events."

To demonstrate just how dangerous a fast-moving ball can be, a recent issue of Golf Digest magazine reports on a series of tests conducted by Janda that used an automobile crash dummy in the role of a typical golfer.

Using a golf ball machine to propel the ball, engineers hit the dummy in the head, chest and arm. Computer equipment measured the impact to determine the extent of injuries.

Janda found most could be serious, many fatal, unless treated properly and quickly.

"The most vulnerable injury to the head is to the side portion of the head, the temporal area," Janda said. "The reason is because the blood vessels become superficial around the brain, right underneath the skull."

Some head injuries happen when people stand too close to a golfer and get hit with a golf club. Children playing with golf clubs can also cause serious injuries.

Perhaps the most dangerous thing to do after a golf course injury is to head to the clubhouse for a couple of drinks. Alcohol with a head injury can be deadly.