This paper will go into detail about the mental and physical health effects of CTE and address what the NFL is doing to reduce concussions. CTE affects players not just mentally but also physically. One out of every three NFL players are affected by CTE and it is becoming a bigger issue everyday. CTE used to not be as common in football payers, but more in boxers, it was very common due to various amounts of headshots taken by the
The documentary Head Games directed by Steve James follows former football player and ex-wrestler, Chris Nowinski, on his mission to uncover the truth about the consequences of playing sports related to concussions. A concussion is a brain injury that you cannot see and where the brain moves around in the skull. More than 3.8 million concussions occur a year due to a sport. The documentary raises the question of whether protective head-gear should be worn in all contact sports. I believe a head is more likely to sustain more damage to the brain without a helmet than a head with a helmet.
This article is very fascinating and talks about the effect that concussions have on people in today’s society. For year concussions flew under the radar, and almost was never noticed. Only recently did major organizations such as the NFL began to realize the long term effect that concussions were having on their players. Recently the idea of blood tests to indicate the concentration of proteins in the brain have been proposed. This idea is a way more efficient and effective way of determining a patient’s condition.
There has been an abundance of controversy over recovery time for athletes who suffered dangerous concussions. Many would argue that there is enough safety in the helmets and medical personnel, but if head injuries, more specifically concussions, are linked to permanent brain damage, athletes should be required to sit out long enough for the brain to completely heal. Brain injury can have a serious negative impact on performance and repeated trauma can have fatal results. The brain is a very delicate computer running the program that is you.
Some of the tests revealed damage to the amygdala which controls mood. Additionally the NFL players scored much lower on memory tests, and had worse verbal skills (Hedin, 2015) 5. Due to the recent number of suicides & violent crimes committed by former players, there is more of a need to research the correlation between the head injuries in the NFL and brain disease even more C. Thesis Point 3: What steps the National Football league has taken to protect players long term health and safety 1. With the scrutiny the NFL has come under, they have developed a new protocol for the diagnoses and treatment of players with concussions 2. Under the new protocol, any player who exhibits sings of a concussion, even the most remote sign, must come out of the game and be checked out by the medical staff, they may not return to the same game if they undergo tests for concussion.
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.
In article one "Heads Up: Concussions in High School Sports” it says concussions can lead to memory loss, irritability, dizziness, and depression. Depression is is more of a mental damaging injury compared to a physical injury. Depression is when up you bring doubt on your self of you negative on life in general. Memory loss comes the same depression is its more mental the physical, your brain took damage and its able to function the same causing memory loss. Dizziness is physical damage, depending on what side of brain got hit dizziness is also a danger you will not be able to see straight cause your eyes are connected to your brain and you will be noxious,feeling light headed, making it
“Deadly Hits” by Lauren Tarshis analyzes the topic of concussions. Over 300,000 concussions, or brain injuries, occur each year in sporting events. Ms. Tarshis analyzes 13-year-old Zackery Lystedt, a Tahoma Junior High football player, who suffered a near-fatal concussion while playing football in Seattle, Washington. According to the author, Zackery ’s injury was the result of a head injury.
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
To get a full understanding of the impact a concussion has on athletes, a sample population was usually chosen. The main objective of the research was to measure the immediate effects and natural recovery course relating to symptoms, cognitive functioning, and postural stability following sport related concussions. There are two stages an athlete must go through; Physical rest, which means strenuous activity should be avoided until the athlete has no post-concussion symptoms, Cognitive rest, because a concussion impacts the brain 's cognitive function, this means no reading, time off of school or work etc... This article also shows the percentages of how long on average an athlete returns to play, most of the time athletes recover between 1-6
In 2015, the NFL reported 271 concussions through practices, games, and workouts in the 2015 season alone (Breslow). The NFL is the most popular sport in the US (McGarry and Schwartz). It’s competitiveness and excitement were all people focused on until players recognized the true effects concussions can have on a player. Today, only a handful of players come out and speak about the problem, addressing their concerns. The cost of speaking out could be that you would lose respect from your teammates and coaches, as they are trying to preserve a game that they love.
We hear about them all the time; headlines read “Major Athlete Receives Major Head Injury and Concussion”, but do we really know what a concussion is and the dangers it holds? Mayo Clinic defines a concussion as a traumatic brain injury that affects brain function. Effects are generally temporary but may include headaches and problems with concentration, memory, balance, and coordination. There are several symptoms of a concussion, some of which may include headaches, fatigue, amnesia, temporary loss of consciousness and nausea. Signs of a concussion that require immediate attention include seizures, eyesight disturbances, and large head bumps.
Concussions Are Serious Lots of people do not understand how critical a concussion can be today. Concussions are very common. They mostly come from contact sports like football, boxing, and hockey. These sports deal with a lot of contact and players take a lot of beatings.
THE INCREASING NUMBER OF CONCUSSION IN ATHLETES ARE DETRIMENTAL TO THE FUTURE OF SPORTS In the recent years, concussions have become a common accident related to various types of sports around the globe. A concussion is a traumatic injury of the brain, they can also be as a result of a sudden blow on the body. Such a blow may cause the head to jerk back and forth in a rapid motion. This may cause a bounce or twist within the skull, which may over stretch the brain, cause cell damage and alter chemical functioning within the brain.
More now than ever athletes are being watched out for when there is trauma to the brain. After multiple cases of poor treatment to concussions parents and doctors are cracking down on letting concussions not be a big deal. As more studies advance, it is discovered that every case is different. The range 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.
