Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS) Compare And Contrast

Recently over the previous decades, concussions have increasingly received attention in the world of sports. A concussion is a serious head injury that can happen to any player, and in just about any sport. Indeed, it has been happening to a countless number of athletes for centuries. 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 has 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.

Imagine being the MVP of an all star sports team, then suffering a concussion from a very competitive game or tournament. No matter what sport an athlete plays or how skilled they are at it, there is always going to be a possibility of injury. Concussions are an injury with serious side effects and can permanently end any star's career. Today, many young athletes suffer from sport related concussions. An estimated 3.8 million recreational and athletic concussions occur annually in the United States, according to statistics in 2012 (Concussion and Sports). Concussions are high on the rise and make athletes very vulnerable and prone to them. Among male athletes, sports resulting in the most concussions include football, ice hockey, lacrosse, wrestling, and soccer. For female athletes, soccer, lacrosse, and basketball were recorded for the sports that resulted in the most concussions. Youth athletes who have suffered one concussion, onset greater chances of experiencing more.

"Each year in the United States, an estimated 1.1 to 1.9 million sports- and recreation-related concussions occur among children aged 18 years and younger. 1–3 Potential long-lasting effects of concussions on developing brains include decreased physical, cognitive, emotional, and sleep health."  Said, Jingzhen, Yang "New and Recurrent Concussions in High-School Athletes Before and After Traumatic Brain Injury Laws, 2005–2016." (1). This is a huge issue especially since the brains are still developing. It is crucial for children to protect their heads because the brain is so fragile in the developing stage.

Over the previous decades, concussions have increasingly received attention in the world of sports. A concussion is a serious head injury that can happen to any player, and in just about any sport. Indeed, it has been happening to a countless number of athletes for centuries. 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 the times to come, there will certainly continue to be dangers for athletes in just about any sport, as they are unavoidable. However, focusing strictly

A reportable concussion had been described as change in brain function induced by trauma. It was demonstrated by: first, altered consciousness, including being amnesic, confused, or rendered insentient. Second, symptoms and signs usually accompanying post-concussion syndrome, such as, persistent headaches, impaired balance, syncope, cognitive dysfunction, hearing loss, blurred vision, drowsiness, lethargy, fatigue, memory disturbance, and difficulty in carrying out routine activities (Casson, Viano and Powell 471). The Concussion Legacy Foundation disclosed that CTE, a degenerative brain disease caused by brain trauma, had been diagnosed among football players from more than 100 college football programs (Concussion Legacy Foundation). Furthermore, researchers at the Department of Veterans Affairs discovered that the brain tissue of 131 out of 165 football players, at all levels, had tested positive for CTE (Schumaker). Concussions are the primary cause of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) among football players.

Many of the famous sports today are played with great enjoyment, however, contact injuries can always occur at any time. Many of these injuries are concussions. Couple of years back studies showed concussions were not a major subject to be dealt with, but until later this idea was proven wrong. A simple Concussion can change many things in your life even the way you act. Many have died due to multiple major concussions even famous athletes. Young high school athletes are starting their sports journey and face these same injuries and when it happens it should be dealt with very seriously.

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. The occurrence of such changes within the brain leads it to vulnerability to injury and increased sensitivity. Concussions in athletes are a common scenario, and some instances may pass unnoticed making such cases to be very dangerous.

Every person in the world loves football! Football has the highest rates of catastrophic head injuries (16).The long term health effects of high impact sport injures can be super dangerous.

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy(CTE) is a progressive degenerative brain disease that affects the lives of many who suffer from head trauma of the brain. CTE has been associated with many different diseases within a person 's memory, personality changes, Parkinsonism, along with speech or gait abnormalities.

Nearly 21% of all traumatic brain injuries to American children are due to sports and recreational activities. In the US, the most common injuries in youth, collegiate and professional sports is ankle injuries and pulled muscles. However, the most detrimental injury is stress to the brain, also known as a concussion. A concussion is a type of head injury that is most of the time caused by a whiplash or violent shaking of the head which is mainly seen in football, soccer and hockey(contact sports). Injuries in sports can last a lifetime depending on the severity causing many athletes to sit out of sports; therefore, athletes education lives are changed due to the inability to learn.

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.

With the movie "Concussion" appearing in theatre 's last December, I took it upon myself to dive deeper into the subject. This time with the same concept, but with a different group of football players. More specifically, the young football players in which the injuries received, being both minor and major injuries, contributes to the development of their brain structures. Within each hit these young players take, the still growing brain comes to a halt every time the team makes a tackle that damages the brain further than most humans do throughout their lifetime. Many different scientists have been conducting experiments to provide proof of how concussions can cause a decline in lifespan of young football players.

Concussions have always been an issue in sports. Many sports can cause a concussion. However, the main sports are either football or soccer. Most of the coach's in these sports trey to help with the issue but do not fully understand the process of helping. "Thousands of known cases were believed to not even report in 1990" (Sports Journal, 2002). Dr. Goldstein called concussions "a silent epidemic" (Sports Journal, 2002) "An estimated 300,000 sports related concussion occur annually in the U.S., and more then 64,000 of these were football injures"(Sports Journal, 2002). Even though concussions are hard to detect. It is even hard to identify them with out knowing what they are.

Concussions have been a serious problem for athletes in the past and continue to be a problem today. From pee-wee football to the professional league, head injuries are the number one safety concern. Years after the injuries, a lot of players develop signs of a brain disease called CTE. This disease has shown up in over 75 deceased NFL players. Some companies have been taking steps towards a brighter future for the game of football, such as creating a safer helmet with updated technology to lessen the overall impact of a hit.

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.