Forty seven percent of all sports concussions are from high school football. The National Federation of State High School Associations has put new policies into effect to help reduce the number of concussions caused by football. Some believe that new safety regulations in football would change the game because it would make the game less rough and not as competitive; however I believe that new safety regulations in football could help protect the players and drastically lower the rate of sports concussions.
A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury that in severe cases can even cause death. Concussions are caused by the brain crashing into the sides of the skull thus, causing the brain to bleed and swell. They can cause permanent brain damage that could end a player’s football career. Forty seven percent of all high school sport concussions are from football. Most people think that concussions happen more in football games than at practice; however this is not actually true. Thirty three percent of all concussions occur at practice. Football is an extremely physically demanding game. Players are hit and tackled every play. The average high school lineman takes between 1,000 to 1,500 hits to the head each season, some at forces equivalent to or greater than a 25-mile-an-hour car crash.
Concussions can cause long term neurological problems. Some symptoms include: headaches, confusion, nausea, vomiting, depression and amnesia. Studies show that repeated brain trauma can cause Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is a disease that mostly affects the nervous system in the human body, which causes tremors and involuntary movements. Repeated concussions are also shown to lead to Alzheimer’s; a disease that effects the brain c...
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A concussion is defined as temporary unconsciousness caused by a blow to the head or a violent shock from a heavy blow. The force transmitted to the head causes the brain to hit the skull, which causes the brain to swell. The symptoms of a concussion can appear immediately after contact or they may subtle and may not appear right away. The symptoms of a concussion can vary in length. There are many different symptoms to a concussion: "Common symptoms after a concussive traumatic brain injury are headache, loss of memory (amnesia) and confusion" (Mayo). Other symptoms that may be involved with a concussion include loss of consciousness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, slurred speech, and fatigue. There are also symptoms that may not occur immediately, but may be delayed hours or days after. These symptoms include difficulty concentrating, sensitivity to light, and sleep disturbances. An athlete should ...
A concussion may be caused by a blow, bump, or jolt to the head or by any fall or hit that jars the brain. A concussion causes the brain to work longer and harder. A concussion affects the mental stamina and function of the brain. Even though concussions are very serious and potentially life threatening to the young athlete, studies show that less than 50% of high school athletes will report their concussions. Almost all athletes
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One article states a major advancement in football gear would be football helmets with pressure sensors in them that gives the team’s medical staff the ability to tell if a hit could have caused a concussion so the player can be pulled off the field and be examined carefully. ("N.F.L. Players’ Union Weighs the Benefits and the Pitfalls of Helmet Sensors.") This technology helps prevent a player with a concussion that he doesn’t know about from continuing to play during that game and cause more damage to his head that can last forever. Another good advancement is helmets that have a design that uses energy managing materials and a facemask attachment system that disperses energy of frontal impacts. This helps prevent the head from taking the main part of the blow and disperses the energy to lessen the likelihood of becoming seriously injured from a hit. These types of helmets have a certain shelf life meaning you can only use them for so many years before they have to be replaced this is beneficial so that the equipment stays up to the new standards of safety for the players as well as prevents them from becoming stressed over the years and
The number of concussions in professional and amateur football has been rising and has sparked much controversy in recent years. These concussions are most likely linked with disease and even the deaths of some pro and semi-pro football players. New research is attempting to solve the problem but the issue is still prevalent in football today.
Vaughn, Christopher, Gerard Gioia and Maegan Sady. “School Problems following Sports Concussion. Which Children Are at Greatest Risk?” British Journal Of Sports Medicine. 47.5 (2012) : 47-51 Web. 11 Apr. 2014.
A concussion is a head injury that can have damaging effects on athletes of all sports and ages. Concussions are regularly caused by a hard hit to the head or body that causes the brain to shake inside the skull. While there is fluid within the skull to protect the brain, when an athlete is hit hard enough, the brain moves to the point of hitting the skull, causing a head injury otherwise known as a concussion (“Concussions”). Terry Adirim, a medical doctor who writes articles for Clinical Pediatrician Emergency Magazine, says that an individual may have many different symptoms after receiving a concussion. Symptoms can include headache, nausea, dizziness, loss of consciousness, and vomiting, but each of these symptoms do not necessarily happen with every concussion.
... Bradley, and Stuart Glassman. “Concussions and Student Athletes: Medical-Legal Issues in Concussions Care & Physician and School System Risks.” New Hampshire Bar Journal. Autumn 2011: 26-35. Web.
The world of sports is filled with great memories, grand moments and at times complete mayhem. There are moments like hitting a Home Run in game 7 of the World Series or memories of scoring an overtime goal during the Stanley Cup finals. However, there are also incredibly low moments when mayhem occurs such as an action or incident that results in a concussion. An injury such as a concussion can ruin your sports career or potentially your ability to function normally in the future. Concussions are caused by blunt force trauma to the head, a fall or an injury that shakes the brain inside the skull. Recovering from a concussion can take weeks, months or even years to heal. For some, it can impair your mental or mobility functions for life.
In contrast to the positives, high school athletics can be seen in a negative light. “Concussions [from athletics] cause structural brain damage” (Solotaroff 7). Even though nobody is said to get a concussion in Friday Night Lights, they are very frequent in football and in other sports today. They occur all the time in football especially. In addition to that piece of nega...
Concussions and the effect they have on people ranging from the young to the old has become a very popular discussion in recent years. Generally people watch sports for entertainment and then there are those who engage in high impact sports from a very young age on. The people at home know how fun playing in a sport is, however they may not know the brutal consequences for some participating in that sport. Injuries to the brain are a main concern among those in the world of high impact sports. Football, soccer, wrestling, lacrosse, and rugby are among sports that athletes receive injuries in. The injuries vary from sprains, to fractures, to torn MCL or ACL, and bruised organs. Concussions are a severe type of injury endured by athletes in the sports world and this life changing injury is one that people are becoming more aware of.
Even though the devastation of concussions is just rising to the surface, they have always been around. In 1994, the NFL started a committee called the MTBI (Mild Traumatic Brain Injury). Dr. Elliot Pellman was appointed as chair, and he was quoted saying, “We think the issue of knees, of drugs and steroids and drinking is a far greater problem, according to the number of incidents” (Ezell). This quote shows how concussions did not hold much importance, even though it should have been the committee's main focus. This is ironic, because in today’s sport world concussions are a highly talked about topic. They hold such significance that some rules are even being changed to lower the risk for players.