As technology continues to advance and scientists begin to understand more about the long term effects of sports injuries, one increasingly frightening topic for athletes at all levels--high school, collegiate, and professional--is the concussion. Nearly every contact sport yields the possibility of trauma to the head. What does a rough body check from an opposing hockey team, a stray 95 mph pitch to the side of the head, a soccer header, and a dangerous tackle in football all have in common? Yes, you guessed it: the possibility for a concussion. But before we explore the possible effects of repeated concussions over a sports career, let’s first define a concussion. ConcussionTreatment.com defines a concussion as “a complex pathophysiological …show more content…
However, these injuries heal eventually with time and rest. They may set an athlete on the side lines for a period of their season (or in worst case scenarios a large chunk of their career), but these injuries more often than not result in a recovery and a glorious return to the playing field. While a concussion is very similar to these physical injuries in the sense that it requires time and rest to recover and will set an athlete out for a portion of his or her season (assuming an appropriate amount of time is given for the brain to heal), it differs from most physical injuries from the stand point that it has possible long term cognitive effects if repeated concussions are obtained. Obviously, dying or paralysis is the worst case scenario for a person who has received brain trauma. However, athletes that have sustained three or more concussions over a life-time have been proven to likely have long-term cognitive impairment, emotional struggles, and a general decrease in the overall quality of life. (A side note from the author: as a person that has already received two concussions while playing hockey, this is extremely frightening entering another season). Furthermore, concussions may accelerate the onset of dementia later in life and result in problems with memory
First concussions are caused from jolts, bumps, and blows to the head. Did you know that 43,000 to 67,000 high schoolers have a concussion per year. Concussions are happening a lot more often dew to fast powerful hits. You might say that helmets should protect you from concussions right, well they do a nice job protecting the exterior but concussions occur inside the cranium.(“Time Magazine”) After that, some of the long term effects are depression, aggression,
The most recent international consensus statement on concussion in sport- the Zurich Guidelines1 – and the 2014 National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) Position Statement on the Management of Sport-related Concussion (SRC)2 define concussion as a brain injury from biomechanical forces producing a complex pathophysiological process that typically results in the rapid onset of short-lived impairment of neurological function that resolves spontaneously. Concussion is a functional disturbance rather than a structural brain injury, the resolution of which in the typical athlete (80–90% of cases) requires 7-10 days. Zurich states that persistent symptoms (>10 days) are reported in 10-15% of SRC.1 Thus, athletes symptomatic for more than 10 days are “atypical” with respect to expected time to recover.
However, it is also important to note that a concussion can also take place outside of sports, meaning it can happen to anybody. For instance, there have been incidents where a person tripped while running, fell, and the impact of their head’s contact with the ground caused a concussion. Or, in a car accident many front-seat passengers, or even the driver, have slammed their heads against the dashboard/steering wheel, also possibly resulting in a concussion. Concussions when treated can be healed in a timely manner. Unfortunately, throughout history, there has been a tendency for people to overlook a concussion as a serious injury, therefore, making it more problematic than it already is.
Multiple concussion can result in a lifetime of mental issues and long term effects. College athletes put excessive time into their sports. Some Division 1 athletes
We know everything about brain injuries and can come to a harmonious conclusion about them? Well, not exactly, there are a number of questions that still remain, even after thorough research. Does a single concussion or multiple concussions increase the risk of developing CTE or any brain disease, or is it more about the force of the blows? Does a single concussion that overlaps other concussions or separate concussions result in permanent brain damage kind of like those of which have diseases like Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases? Is there a certain amount of hits you can take to the head, or concussions, that could put you at higher risk of developing CTE?
There are long term effects of having concussions that are Dementia, memory loss, headaches, blurry vision, but some long term effects could mean Cronic Tramatic Encpololopthy (CTE) which is a desies that cannot be diagnosed until after death even though athletes could be living with signs and symptom of the disease... however people may not show any symptoms even though they may still have it. Some people suffer from 2nd impact syndrome which is rare and fadel and only happens to people 23 and younger. With that syndrome you have to relearn motor skills as in eating, walking, talking.
In Brian W. Benson’s article, he states, “Concussion results in a graded set of clinical symptoms that may or may not involve loss of consciousness or memory dysfunction.” Major injuries are always an issue when it comes to contact sports among all ages. Due to this, changes have been made to the physical rules of the game. For example, in all levels, there is now a penalty for head contact. Hockey is a fast-paced game and it can be difficult to perform a clean body check.
More effective protocols should be implemented to prevent concussions around the professional sports league. Some people do not even know what a concussion is. Some just think it is a bad headache. Actually, a concussion is a disturbance in brain function that occurs after a blow to a head or a conclusion to a violent shake of the head and body (“Brain”). Many of these come from things like head-to-head contact with another player.
As a result, one out five high school athletes suffers a sports concussion. Thus, impacts the student athlete tremendously as they become a sideline watcher. In the
More now than before, athletes are being extremely cautious when there is trauma to the brain. After multiple cases of poor treatment, parents and doctors are taking control of an epidemic of untreated concussions. As more studies advance, it is discovered that every case is different. The range of seriousness is created by severity, past experience with trauma, and how the patient heals. Concussions in sports can range in severity, and how they affect each individual over time depending on times of impact.
The brain does not only get injured during concussions. Minnesota says that any given professional player can receive up to 1500 blows to the head each season. Multiple seasons of football can lead to serious damage, and diseases like alzheimer 's. More precautions should be taken by the NFL to prevent brain damage from
Football concussions can lead to brain injuries or other serious health issues that can be fatal. Concussions can happen in many different ways, which all involve big hits to the head. Hard hits to a player's head can cause his or her brain to move in different ways which can cause brain bruising or bleeding. A hard hit to a player’s forehead causes the brain to accelerate in a back and forth motion that can make a player feel nauseous or unstable. If the hit is focussed in the left or right side of a player's forehead it can cause the brain to move in a twisting motion which will leave the player light headed and with a headache.
Athletes who have a prior concussion face greater risks of developing critical symptoms of concussions and that can lead to slow recovery (Agel and Harvey 319–323). On some instances, concussion can lead to permanent damage and can even become
Concussions in Sports In sports, concussions occur frequently across all age groups. From little leagues to high school sports to the professional leagues, concussions pose a high risk of long term Traumatic brain injuries. Because of the high rate of concussions in sports more attention should be paid to protocols and treatment to prevent traumatic brain injuries. High school athletes that partake in a sport that requires intense physical activity are the most vulnerable to concussion and need more time to recover. According to the Head Case “High school football accounts for 47 percent of all reported sports concussions, with 33 percent of concussions occurring during practice.”
Second nearly 25% of people who get concussions are not given medical assistance. Lastly sports injuries are the most common way of getting a concussion. (Sources Paul Hornung Sues the Helmet Maker Riddell Over Concussionshttp://mrshatzi.com/files/paul-hornung-sues.pdf Belson July 7th 2016) Another reason competitive sports are not good for you is because you can get injured not just from concussions but serious