The Dangers Of Head Injuries And Concussions In Sports

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

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.

So, you're a high school football star. You're playing a match, you've caught the ball thrown to you, then get tackled. Your head hits the ground with a loud, audible thump. And now, you have a concussion. This kind of thing happens to football stars all across the U.S. and other countries. In the 2005-06 season, over half a million head injuries were sustained by high school students, nationally. I am not say removing the sport from schools as a whole. However, it's understood that there are ways to attempt to make the sport safer, all while having it still be just as fun/entertaining. Updating the "armored" pads the athletes wear, making amends to some of the rules, different methods of training, are all ways to make things even just the slightest bit safer than they already are.

In the true story based movie and the documentary, the dangers of head injuries in football are laid out for the viewer. Dr. Bennet Omalu discovered the brain injury chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE; however, the NFL was in denial about the effects football had on the brain and had on causing CTE. I believe that the NFL’s denial to the accusations were detrimental to many football players and that serious consideration should be taken into the way football is played overall.

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.

The amount of children participating in competitive sports has been on a steady decline in the past decade. Between the years of 2008 and 2013, the total number of children participating in competitive sports has dropped by approximately 2.6 million. This is mainly due to the many negative impacts that young athletes face when partaking in these sports. Competitive sports involve sports where competition is encouraged, and where winning is more important than anything else. Competing in these sports causes the children to be vulnerable to many risks and many other negative impacts. Children who participate in competitive sports at a young age experience more serious negative impacts than positives, including a risk of severe injury, losing

“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.

Research has shown that concussions can affect a person later in life. It can cause athletes to have depression, memory loss, physical impairment such as slowing of movements and can take months to recover sometimes even years. Many people are afraid to be taken out of the game so they deny that they have a concussion and continue the sport as if nothing occurred. This can lead the player to a greater risk of another concussion and can cause impairing actions to the athletes life. Everyone loves sports but it should be played carefully and responsibly. An athlete should always think before they act and not only help themselves in the competitive sport but their opponent as well while taking their full

To most kids and students, competitive sports are a gateway to blow off some steam or to have fun. To parents, the sports that their children play and the lessons that they teach are an important part of their development and life. Despite what many ‘experts’ would like you to believe, both of these statements are completely true. I believe that kids should be allowed to play competitive sports due to the health benefits, the lessons that they can teach, and as a result of the advanced equipment and rules that are focused on making sports safe, as well as the fact that sports can keep kids out of trouble.

Concussions which is a blow to the head causing brain trauma that can last several weeks and other injuries that has just as high risks like a concussion. September 26, 1928, a football league was created for professional football players called the NFL. The start of the league has always been at high probability for its injuries. In order to continue to play the game that countless people fell in love with, the NFL has to take serious safety precautions such as helmets and pads. NFL's necessity rules, such as unnecessary kids being penalized, are being utilized to reduce life alternate injuries and provide a better experience for the players and the fans.

Concussions get a bad wrap. Concussions are becoming a very relivent part of todays sports culture. People are going as far as quitting their sport due to just one concussion. These head injurys have become a very hot topic and are debated heavily when it comes to contact sports. Athletes and parents need to be aware of these injuries, and a tough protocol should be placed on the amount of concussions an athelete can have before they become ineligible to participate in sports. While playing a contact sport a concussion could cause brain damage, end a playing career, or alter a someones life for the worst.

“CTE is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain found in athletes (and others) with a history of repetitive brain trauma” (BU “What is CTE”) This has been especially found in athletes linked to football and boxing with a long history of concussions. However CTE cannot be diagnosed until death, so players will never know they had it. The other reason for the publicity of concussions is SIS. Second Impact Syndrome is if a player has been injured and they sustain a second, even mild, blow to the head. “(SIS) occurs when a person with a concussion, even a very mild one, suffers a second blow before fully recovering from the first. The brain swelling and increased intracranial pressure that can result is potentially fatal” (Davidson, Atkins, and Longe). 95% of repeat concussions occur within 10 days of the first, and 75% within 1 week (“Head Injuries”). Because the vessels in the brain take about 15 days to heal, the player is at higher risk for another concussion or the vessels bursting. A burst vessel can result in death. Without thorough evaluation, athletes are especially vulnerable to much more serious

Since scientist have begun studying the effects of concussions on the brain with professional football players it has become apparent that concussions can lead to permanent brain damage and memory loss. Also, studies show that because of the speed and hits they receive every day, retired football players have developed brain diseases and short term memory which has made their lives a blight. Since the link of concussions to brain damage has been made, the NFL has made changes in the league to prevent these traumatic diseases. The league has changed the way they practice on the field and even the equipment they use. Even though there is no definite answer to solving the serious amounts of concussive cases in football, the game of football still goes on and precautions are being taken to prevent dramatic

In todays’ sports society there are a lot of issues that tend to come up and become very popular. A huge one that caught my eye that has become a great issue in today’s society is concussions within the National Football League. The documentary that I found upon this subject was on PBS Frontline titled “League of Denial: The NFL’s Concussion Crisis”. In the documentary there were a multitude of problems and cases that were covered within the concussion aspect and the possibilities that have happened due to

Throughout the years there has been an increase in the number of players with concussions in professional sports. Safety procedures such as ensuring equipment and head gear fit properly along with whenever a player is injured from head-to-head contact, they are examined by a physician for concussion like symptoms and or a concussion. According to Weill Cornell 's Concussion and Brain injury clinic, concussions may possibly have long lasting effects such as headaches, dizziness, difficulty concentrating or completing tasks, irritability, and the sense that you “just do not feel like yourself”. Overall, additional rules an regulations need to be added to professional sports to prevent the risk of traumatic brain damage also known as concussions.