Chapter 4

PAINTBALL AND HEALTH CONCERNS

MEDICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Medically speaking, your concerns as a parent should be the same concerns you’d have for any other outdoor recreational activity. Your child should be: physically capable of moving around the field, able to engage in activity that will heighten cardio-vascular activity, properly attired for the environment, and properly equipped for the expected weather conditions.

For example, players should be encouraged to wear footgear that incorporates ankle support because they’ll be doing a lot of stop-and-go running. If the weather is hot, they should have a good supply of water and/or sports drinks readily available. If they are prone to allergies, the proper medication should be on hand.

If your child is taking ANY prescription medication, you should consult with your family physician to insure that participating in paintball won’t interfere with the medication or that the medication will preclude play.

When it comes to injury, beyond everyday recreational activity injuries (cuts, scrapes, abrasion burns, insect bites, sprained joints), there are a few things to be aware of.

First, paintball impacts cause bruises and welts. While these can look horrible, most people don’t have a problem with them. Most are subcutaneous (below the skin) and will go through the usual spreading and color changes you’ll see from any bruise. (Most players like to show off their welts as badges of honor; they usually don’t hurt at all except for the initial impact, and may be slightly tender or sore a day or so after the game, but for the most part, it’s just a small bruise.) Some people do take much longer to heal from bruises and, like any injury, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on them to make sure they are healing properly.

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The remainder of this chapter discusses the normal precautions one would take when regarding children and physical activities.  It then goes on to cover the three possible injuries that are of most concern - aneurysms, concussions and commotio cordis.  I caution in the book, as I do here, that the incident of experiencing any of those (as well as more normal sports - related injuries such as sprains, broken bones and abrasions) is extremely rare.  I include this information in the book both for completeness’ sake and because it is important to be aware of these issue: since they can be life-threatening, forewarned is forearmed.