Concussions In Hockey Essay

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The Prominence of Concussions in Hockey
Dizziness, amnesia, insomnia, nausea, headaches and confusion. Lack of concentration, comprehension and balance. These are a few effects of a concussion. Concussions are a serious brain injury caused by the brain moving back and forth in the skull due to an outside force. Since hockey is a fast-paced, high-contact game, concussions happen frequently in the players. Hockey has one of the highest concussion rates out of every sport. They affect everyone from professional players all the way down to youth levels. Brain injuries in hockey are an ongoing problem that has been around for a long time. Instilling mandatory baseline tests and educational video viewing by parents and athletes in addition to improving helmet safety can help lower concussion rates.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the brain has a consistency of gelatin which makes it cushioned from minor bumps; however, large blows cause the brain to slam violently into the inner walls of the head causing concussions. The severity of the injury depends on many different factors including prior hits, force and where the head hit. Symptoms of concussions include headaches, loss …show more content…

If every helmet has to score above a 3 on the rating scale to be able to be on the market, helmets would be immeasurably safer and hopefully, would reduce concussions. Critics may say that as the safety of helmets goes up, so does the price. This is not necessarily true because in Virginia Tech's test the safest helmet (Warrior Krown 360, $89.99) was on the lower end of the price range while the most expensive helmet (Bauer RE-AKT 100, $269.99) was considered to be unsafe. The price of helmets does not correlate with safety. Also, with higher standards to hold helmets too, competition between each manufacturer to create the safest helmet would be at a high so new ways to make helmets would be

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