Informative Essay On Concussions

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For centuries sports have been the interest point for players and fans all around the nation and the participation has risen for athletics in professional, collegiate and high school athletics. With the increase of athletes comes the increase in injuries. Over the past decade the most common type of injury suffered by the athletes has been concussions. In 2012 alone 3,800,000 concussions were reported. Although concussions have just been introduced into the news and media in the last 10 years, concussions have been present in the history of sports for many years and continue to play an important role in the sports world today. In a article about the history of concussions, the author explains how the original research of brain related injuries …show more content…

The impact that concussions have on a person can include those that are both short and long term and involve negative impacts on the emotional, mental and physical areas of a person's life. In a article from the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, they describe the dangers of concussions and how fatal they can become if they go untreated. “In the United States, approximately 1.7 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) annually; these injuries account for 1.365 million emergency room visits and 275,000 hospitalizations each year.1 The majority of these TBIs are minor” (Long Term Consequences: Effects on Normal Development Profile after Concussion, 1). When untreated a concussion can result in Fatigue, disordered sleep, aggression, anxiety, depression, headaches, dizziness, personality changes and apathy. These symptoms will last at least 3 months and often will last longer. These symptoms will have a negative impact on children and how they go about living their lives, and will likely impact their lives in the long run. As presented concussions can have a negative impact on the future lives on many athletes far beyond their lives on the playing …show more content…

A study done in 2015 by the American Academy of Pediatrics showed that about 69% of the 359 athletes that were studied from the ages of 5-18 who suffered from a concussion showed academic deficiencies and both their parents and their teachers showed concern in their academic performance. (Academic Effects of Concussion in Children and Adolescents, 1). This study is significant because it shows how a concussion can have such negative impacts on the academic futures of many children including the student’s ability to learn, participate and do well in everyday school activities. Another way concussions can be dangerous if for a student who is returning to school too soon after a concussion. In a handout created by the Department of health and human resources detailed the negative impacts that grueling school work has on a student who either has a concussions but more specifically those returning too fast from a head trauma. “ the experience of learning and engaging in academic activities that require concentration can actually cause a student’s concussion symptoms to appear or worsen” (Heads Up Schools, 2). Those students who return to quickly from a head

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