DONEGAL footballer Ryan McHugh has told of the concussion that forced him out of action for five months.
McHugh suffered a second concussion injury in 2018 which resulted in him missing Kilcar’s Donegal SFC campaign.
The Kilcar ace recalled how he felt at times as if he was letting his team-mates and friends down by not playing.
“I had to take on board the medical advice and I had to sit out,” McHugh said.
Earlier that year, McHugh experienced a delayed concussion.
He said: “My first was a wee bit different. I didn’t get the symptoms straight away. About a week and a half later, I felt a bit dizzy.”
McHugh endured a mixture of headaches, blurry vision, nausea and memory loss.
When McHugh shipped a second concussion during a challenge game with his club, medics including the Donegal team doctor, Mr Kevin Moran, advised him to take a clean break.
He said: “In total, I took five months off. I tried my best to stay away from phones, laptops, television.”
Last summer, McHugh won a third Ulster SFC title with Donegal – something he says was a ‘silver lining’.
Tags:‘I wasn’t myself that night, so that’s why he pulled me straight out’ – Ryan McHugh @officialdonegal. Ryan suffered a number of concussions in the 2018 season, he tells his story here. To learn more on concussions click here: https://t.co/doRkQv909S pic.twitter.com/g1rHydPto0
— The GAA (@officialgaa) January 15, 2020
