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Concussions occur in every sport and the issue is now becoming a debated topic within the field of sports. Concussion symptoms are typically obvious but some symptoms are more subtle. If a player decides to continue playing with a concussion or has a frequent history with concussion he or she is endangering themselves to more serious injuries. A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that alters primary functions in your brain (Concussions). Visualize a person driving a car without a seatbelt into a wall. When the vehicle stops, the driver continues moving forward, and that is what occurs to the brain during a concussion. The effects of a concussion are usually short-term, but can sometime take months for a person to recover. Problems that can occur from concussions include throbbing headaches, a loss of concentration, repeated vomiting or nausea, short-term memory loss, poor judgment, and loss of balance and hand-eye coordination. An athlete must be removed from play if they are suspected of having suffered a concussion.
I personally have first-hand experience when it comes to havi...
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
If you have the brains when you start, you are aware that banging your head into people is not the best thing for your body,” stated Chris Cooley, tight end and a 2 time Pro Bowler with the Washington Redskins (Do No Harm, 2). Research over the years has gathered extensive data on the mental and physical illnesses of retired NFL football players. It has proved that players who accumulate numerous concussions are at a higher risk of health problems after their football career than players who’ve sustained fewer. This data is proven by various studies that have caused worry for many retired NFL football families. The examples of deaths resulting from past concussions are astonishing, and the stats that show high risks for the possible problems can prove why they possibly died. Countless retired players are now frightened by the potential hazard of destructive health problems.
To understand the issue of concussions in the NFL we must first understand exactly what a concussion is. A concussion is a minor traumatic brain injury that jars or shakes the brain inside the skull. Severe concussions can cause loss of consciousness and/or forgetfulness. However, you do not need to lose consciousness to have a concussion. Minor concussions usually cause headache, nausea, dizziness, and tiredness. An NFL study showed that most concussions occur when one player delivered a hit to the side of the head of another, and when the player was either standing still or moving slowly. These hits that cause concussions pack an average force of 980-pounds. Concussions affect professional athletes as well as amateur or youth football players. Studies have shown that high school football players are nearly twice as likely to get concussions as college football players and high school athletes in other sports. Also, they show that 47% of high school football players say they suffer a concussion each season. As a result about 250,000 people under the age of 19 went to the emergency room with concussions in 2009, compared with 150,000 in 2001.
Not many sports are as physically demanding on the human body as football. The physical toll that football players pay is almost impossible to comprehend unless one has actually played the sport for a significant amount of time. However, until recently any connection between the hits taken by football players and their health down the road was largely ignored. A common, yet difficult injury to detect in football is a concussion, the most common traumatic brain injury (Pearce). A concussion is defined as “a brain injury that is caused by a sudden blow to the head or the body. The blow shakes the brain inside the skull, which temporarily prevents the brain from working normally” (Heiner pa.5). Reports and studies have surfaced shedding light on just how much damage is inflicted upon the brain due to crippling hits. These studies suggest that NFL athletes who received concussions suffered lasting damage to the brain, which opens the gate to a multitude of other health issues such as dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and clinical depression (Pearce). This is an aspect of the game that not many are aware of and it is a serous issue that needs to be dealt with sooner rather than later. There have been too many heartbreaking stories such as that of Justin Strzelcyk who heard voices and died in a crash while fleeing police or that of Andre Waters who shot himself in the head after struggles with depression (Zarda pa.1). Many current and former players are suffering in silence; this shouldn’t be the case. The National Football League needs to extend a hand to former players debilitated by head injuries. The problem of concussions and other head injuries in the NFL is one that needs to be tackled head on.
The very first step to solving the concussion problem is to train coaches how to spot a concussion. The most common symptoms are: headache, sensitivity to light and/or sound, trouble remembering plays, dizziness, nausea, and balance problems. Players suspected of having a concussion must be removed from the game or practice immediately. A concussion is described as a “mild traumatic brain injury” because it is not usually life threatening if treated properly. That name does not indicate the possible consequences if an athlete returns to play too soon.
A concussion is a temporary loss of normal brain function, and can be described in three different ways: mild, moderate, or severe (Schafer). The worse one’s concussion is, the more dangerous the effects of it are. People usually get a concussion when they are playing high intensity sports. There are other things that could cause a concussion. One might have been in a motor vehicle accident, or they could have done something as simple as falling and hitting their head. Every time a person receives a blow to the head they damage their brain. It is hard to tell how much damage one has done to their brain, because doctors cannot see it from the outside of their brain (Haas).
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.
The Effects of Concussions on the NFL For many years the NFL has been considered one of the most painful and dangerous sport played in the United States. But is it too Dangerous? The uprising number of concussions is shocking. NFL analysts survives suggest a 14 percent increase of concussions for the year 2013. Player safety rules have also been implemented into the official rule book. The three main effects that concussions have on the NFL today are big hits, big plays, and the defensive game played today.
Concussions are an injury that falls under the Traumatic Brain Injury category. A concussion occurs when a force causes the brain to rock back and forth inside the skull, and hit the interior walls of the skull. When this happens it can result in bruising on two parts of the brain, the Coup and the Countercoup. This may result in Loss of consciousness, confusion, headaches, nausea or vomiting, blurred vision, and loss of short-term memory. I know from experience the nausea and blurred vision. I noticed that during what I thought was a concussion though after the initial hits my ears would ring and give me very painful headaches.
What does the word concussion mean to you? Does it mean to become unconscious, or merely a change in consciousness? The definition of a concussion is just a change in consciousness. Common signs of concussions include; memory problems, confusion, nausea or vomiting, or balance problems. Concussions have been a problem in sports for many years. You will see what some experts have to say about effects of concussions and what they really are.
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.
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.
Many memories are made in football, but sadly some of the greatest players cannot recall them. The National Football League has been associated with concussions and brain traumas throughout the years, but lately it has been exposed by media and NFL veterans. The league recently “reached a $765 million preliminary settlement with thousands of former players who were suing the league over its treatment of concussions…” (Waldron). Many former players are experiencing the effects of taking hard hits over and over again; they were not properly treated, which makes the injury worse and long term. The concussion issue in the NFL is more prevalent today, because it affects not only the players, but the league as a whole.
Symptoms, alternatively, are subjective and can only be described by the person feeling them. The “Concussion Symptoms Scale and Sideline Assessment Tools” article mentions every symptom, obvious or minute. Symptoms include, headache, pressure in head, neck pain, dizziness, sensitivity to light, sensitivity to noise, feeling slowed down, state of being “in a fog”, overall just don’t feel quite right, difficulty focusing, difficulty with memory, low energy, puzzlement, sleepiness, anxiety, insomnia, or even sleeping more than usual are all potential symptoms that can indicate a concussion. It is important to remember that all concussions show at least one symptom, but the other symptoms may not be apparent. As of right now, there is no technological test that can diagnose a concussion. Many inventions have been tested, but there is no equipment that has been able to detect concussion. This is why the sideline assessment immediately following the impact is so critical. Interestingly, a study conducted in association with the concussion symptoms scale article mentioned above made a connection between exercise and symptoms. It states, “[the research team] recently studied the effects of fifteen minute bursts of moderate to high intensity exercise on common concussion symptoms in a sample of sixty healthy participants aged 18 to 35. They found significantly increase symptoms following intense exercise, with a