Short Term Effects Of Concussions In Sports

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.

College athletes should receive compensation for their efforts because of the serious risks involved, the time the athletes put into it, and if the college is making money off these students they should financially benefit from it.

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.

"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

In the high school sports community, concussions remain a high threat to the athletes who do not receive sufficient awareness and the knowledge they need about concussions. Even though sports, such as football, are implementing penalties and different policies to try to reduce the amount of concussions that occur, high school student-athletes still suffer concussions at an alarming rate. Concussions remain a serious public health concern, as approximately 1.6 to 3.8 million sports-related concussions are estimated to occur each year. (Covassin, Elbin, Sarmiento 2012). However, North Carolina has taken the initiative to increase the student-athlete 's education of concussions within the high school community. Previous research regarding concussion

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.

According to a research report from Loehrke, a young athlete suffers a sports related injury that is severe enough to go to the emergency room approximately every 25 seconds, or 1.35 million times a year. The most prominent of these injuries were concussions, which accounted for 163,670, or 12 percent of the total 1.35 million injuries (Loehrke). Dr. Alexander K. Powers, a pediatric neurosurgeon at Wake Forest Baptist Health in North Carolina, found that most children who suffer concussions recover, but the prognosis for children who suffer recurring concussions is unknown. Recurring concussions could lead to several disabilities later in life, such as dementia, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer 's disease, epilepsy, and many other neurological disorders that would require a substantial amount of surgery to cure, if they could even be cured at all (Powers). Putting a child at risk to suffer injuries, such as the ones listed above, is one of the main reasons why the amount of children participating in competitive sports has been dropping

“Medical researchers at Boston University recently confirmed that 88 of 92 former NFL players donated their brains for research…”(15). “... NFL players who donate their brains for research suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy( C.T.E.), a brain disease induced by repetitive head trauma and linked to depression,aggression,impulse-control problems,memory loss, and dementia”(15). People who get injured and get concussions it can change their lives forever and will never be the same again. “I don’t think my life will ever be the same”-Bryce Monti(15). His life is forever changes because of the concussion he had previously.

Sports-related concussions might just be the biggest worry for any athlete at any level. Concussions are something that just about every athlete typically deals with at some point in their sports career. Everyone knows that injuries occur when you play sports, especially concussions,. Which can sideline an athlete for weeks or even forever. Many student-athletes have experienced this issue that can easily be resolved from informative training that is well organized. Many athletes have lost their lives because of untreated concussions that are not taking seriously. Concussions can be prevented or be reduced if we are required to go through intense and beneficial Training in high school. Concussion training can help athletes diagnose a concussion,

Concussions can cause serious harm to your brain and affect it long term if you don 't allow your brain time to heal properly. Student athletes are more prone to concussions than older people and take longer for their brains to heal. Athletes recovering from a concussion should be required by law to sit out for extended periods of time to recover fully. Athletes in high school could suffer from severe consequences from a brain injury if returned to play early and they could suffer long term effects if they don 't allow their brain to thoroughly heal.

Concussions are a very serious issue. The doctors and safety officials need to treat it accordingly. Athletes should sit out long enough to allow the brain to heal completely. If a concussion is sustained to a victim at the high school or collegiate level, the patient should be ruled out for the remainder of the game, at least.

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.

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.