Why Wearing Snowboarding Helmets Is Important

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Snowboarding is a great winter sport. In fact, with younger people, it's overtaken skiing in popularity. It can, however, also be a dangerous sport if necessary precautions are not taken. This is especially true for beginners who have not yet learned the basics of snowboarding.

Injuries are par for the course in snowboarding. Sprains are the most common injury. Specifically arm and wrist sprains since that's how most beginners break their falls. When it comes to serious injuries, however, concussions are the real danger. This is particularly true for snowboarders who don't wear helmets.

A concussion is any kind of a traumatic injury to the brain triggered by a blow to the head and it is always something to be concerned about. In snowboarding, a concussion can easily occur via a collision with a skier or another snowboarder, a fall to the ground, or by hitting a tree or other stationary object. The signs of a concussion include feeling dizzy or disoriented, wanting to throw up, or experiencing blurred vision. You should seek immediate medical help if you experience any of these symptoms following a collision.

Without a helmet, the head and brain take the full impact of the blow which can be so intense that it leads to long-term or even permanent injury. A helmet acts to diffuse the impact by taking the brunt of the impact itself, so instead of the energy being concentrated on one spot, it spreads over a larger area. Even with a hard blow where the helmet will not be able to absorb the full impact itself, it will most likely absorb enough of it to prevent you from suffering brain damage.

But don't just choose the first stylish helmet that you see. Try on several different styles before choosing one. Also, try different manufacturers. The helmets from one manufacturer may fit your head better than another one. Try the helmet on with all the headgear that you normally wear, including goggles. The helmet should fit snug - but not tight.

Also, look for a helmet that has the ASTM F2040 certification sticker. ASTM is a voluntary standards organization that sets standards for thousands of products and materials. The presence of a ASTM F2040 sticker certifies that the helmet meets the minimum performance specifications required to prevent or reduce the severity of injuries to the head while participating in extreme sports such as snowboarding and skiing.

ASTM International is one of the largest voluntary standards development organizations in the world-a trusted source for technical standards for materials, products, systems, and services.

There is a flip side to wearing helmets, however. Snowboarders who wear helmets typically tend to go faster than those without helmets, no doubt thinking themselves safe from injury. But the increased speed means than if they do have a collision, they are hitting at a greater force which in many cases is more than enough to offset the effect of wearing a helmet in the first place.

Bottom line - A bad concussion can end your snowboarding fun forever. A helmet cannot guarantee that you won't suffer a head injury, but it does reduce the odds significantly. Wearing a properly fitted helmet is a very small price to pay to increase the odds that you'll continue to have fun on the slopes in years to come.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Jim Garza is the owner and webmaster of snowboardingmarketplace.com, a winter sports web site specializing in articles and information on learn to snowboard, womens snowboards, and snowboarding accessories.

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