The NFL: The Cognitive Effects Of The NFL

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The National Football League (NFL) has become one of the most popular sports leagues in the world. The NFL was founded in 1920 and since then has blossomed into the favorite sport in the United States. In fact, the NFL has been voted as the most popular sport in the United States for the last 30 years. Much of the popularity of the NFL comes from the hard hitting, high speed collisions that happen each play in games. However, the collisions are putting players at risk for injuries that can threaten the long term health of players. A study done by Virginia Tech University measured the force of football hits. This study done with college players showed that the hits of a football game are similar to what is experienced in a car crash. Those …show more content…

The symptoms can also depend on each individual and how their brain works. The different kinds of symptoms are dependent on what part of the brain is affected. The effects can be physical, cognitive, emotional, or general upkeep. The physical effects are generally headaches and nausea. The headaches are often one of the symptoms that last the longest. Athletes who have had a concussion are always asked if they are having headaches as part of the protocol. However, players often lie in order to return to the field as quick as possible. Cognitive effects come in the form of memory issues, and difficulty concentrating.If a player loses consciousness because of his concussion, most likely some memory issue will also occur. Emotional effects are often sharp mood swings. A concussed person will get very irritable but can also have sadness. A person who is affected emotionally by a concussion can go from laughing about something to crying uncontrollably. Lastly, the symptoms can be considered “maintenance”. These symptoms affect the general living of the person. The main area is sleep disturbances, changes in appetite, and change in energy level. These symptoms can last up to weeks and lead to a difficulty in everyday life. Although these are symptoms are a common occurrence in diagnosed concussions, it is estimated that 47% of athletes feel no symptoms after a concussive blow. When no symptoms occur it makes diagnosing a concussion very difficult. Also, in less than 10% of concussions does the athlete lose consciousness. While each concussion diagnosed in the NFL adds to the problem of brain injury; undiagnosed concussions put players at a greater risk than anything. A player who has not fully recovered from a concussion is at an immense risk for further brain damage. Research shows that for every concussion suffered, a person is one to two times more likely to get a second. After the second

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