Imagine having to attend to a loved one because of their horrific state of health after a colossal impact they sustained. This unfortunately is the reality for many worldwide. Athletes are experiencing many internal injuries such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) and Concussions. Although the majority of people understand the risks of participating in sports, they fail to realize just how common athletes are diagnosed with these fatal diseases. The safety of athletes is now being put to question. Professional sports claim to be doing everything they can to protect the players from diseases such as ALS and CTE’s, but there is much more that can be done. The safety of the athletes is the most important …show more content…
One of the most common TBI’s are Concussions. A concussion is a brain injury caused by a blow to the head or body which causes the brain to come crashing into the skull. The brain suffers bruising and the axons are destroyed. Axons are the delicate fibers that carry electrical signals to the brain. The person will experience a variety of symptoms such as loss of consciousness, dizziness, blurry vision, confusion and nausea. The severity of the concussion varies and symptoms may last from a week to three months on average. Although concussions are common with approximately 1.6 to 3.8 million cases being reported in the U.S. annually, there is no denying that the trauma experienced leaves a lasting effect for years. Even if the ailments wear off, the brain may still not be at 100%. In an article on www.medicalnewstoday.com, A study showed that some athletes who suffered concussions later developed symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease. Parkinson’s Disease is a disorder of the nervous system which affects movement, usually including tremors. A study done by the Center of Disease Control (CDC) concluded that TBI’s contribute to 30% of all injury-based deaths. All brain injuries sustained are a danger to the health of the victim, no matter how common it may be. A concussion alone may not seem much, but it is the effects that come later in life that really change a person’s
The Effects of a Concussion starts early on after suffering the injury, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy of also known as CTE starts a few years or even decades after suffering the Injury. According to James White MD. There are early signs and symptoms of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and of the first signs of CTE is troubles with Multitasking. Multitasking becomes very hard for Former NFL players who have suffered concussions in their career. Another key symptom of CTE in the early stages of the injury is Minor Cognitive Impairment. Former players have trouble with memory both short term and
Concussions can truly mess with an athlete’s brain and can give him or her lifelong troubles.
Concussion is a brain injury caused by movement of brain within the skull due to external forces that may cause sudden acceleration or decoration of a person such as collisions. It is a traumatically induced transient disturbance to the functioning of the brain caused by complex pathophysiological process (Harmon et al.). A bump, blow, or jolt to the head may cause concussion. Concussions also emanates from a blow to the body that causes the head and hence the brain to move quickly back and forth, causing the brain to bounce around or twist within the skull. Many people/studies refer to concussions as mild traumatic brain injuries (MTBI) (Harmon et al.).
A concussion is when you go unconsciousness for a little while caused by a blow to the head. The term is also used loosely of the after effects such as confusion or temporary incapacity. Concussion is are known as a mild brain injury that is a mild brain injury MTBI mild head injury and a little head trauma. Some experts will define a concussion as a head injury with temporary loss of brain function which can cause some cognitive physical and emotional symptoms. Symptoms may also include headache, confusion, lack of coordination. The term concussion describes an injury to the brain resulting from a hard impact to the head. By definition a concussion is not a life threatening injury but should be treated fast . The use of protective headgear can decrease the risk of a concussion when you are engaging in any of the following activities Contact martial arts sports such as boxing, karate, and others Football. Most post concussion symptoms such as headaches, sensitivity to noise and light, dizziness, fatigue and memory problems go away with about seven to ten days after the injury but sometimes post concussion symptoms can last up to about 3 months. Rarely do symptoms last longer. What can you do when you have a concussion? Some people who have had a concussion find that at first it
A concussion is a complex series of trauma that affects the brain. They can be caused by a direct blow to the brain or an indirect hit directed to someone’s body. Some of the symptoms are brain related such as headaches, memory loss, and nausea. Headaches and dizziness are the leading reported symptoms of a brain injury. Concussions can have symptoms affecting a person’s emotions like sadness and drowsiness. Researchers have concluded after studies that athletes who receive one concussion are one-two times more likely to get a second one. The CDC has
Concussions are a rising issue in the daily life of many athletes in the sports of hockey, soccer, football, and skateboarding. Every 21 seconds, someone in this country encounters a brain injury. Concussions are brain injuries caused by jolts or hard hits around the head. When the tissue of the brain slams against the strong, thick skull in your head, a concussion is very common. This leads to either swelling of the brain, “torn blood vessels, or injury to the nerves.” (Haas) Eventually, the result will be immediate, delayed, or even permanent loss of your own brain. In the next four paragraphs, I will describe to you how a concussion is important to you and others, what the world can do to stop this issue, and what you can do to prevent
However, in 2013, the NFL and the NFLPA entered a dispute on how to allocate the $100 million. The NFLPA vetted several research proposals and invited the NFL to participate in the entire process, so they believed the NFL would comply with the research proposal they selected. The NFLPA decided to allocate the funds towards a 10 year Harvard initiative that would examine at least 1,000 retired players to use as long-term subjects on a wide range of health issues. The project aimed to discover approaches to diagnosing, treating and preventing injuries and in both active and retired players. However, the “joint contribution” would not pan out as the NFL refused to sign off on the grant. The two sides would eventually agree to allocate their $50 million funding towards separately selected medical research. The NFL has allocated most of its medical research funds to entities such as the National Institute of Health, the U.S. military and private companies. Examining the allocation of medical research funds from the NFL and examining how the NFL refused to allocate money towards the Harvard initiative, suggests the NFL is steering away from research specifically from the link between football and CTE. Although, the NFL is now addressing brain trauma as a health hazard for players and are trying to diagnose and mitigate the impact of brain injuries, the NFL is also not addressing the link between CTE and playing football, perhaps because the
A concussion is a type of TBI that is caused from an impact to the head or from a jolt of the head which can be caused by a fall. A person receives a concussion when the brain hits the side of the inner skull due to the blow. This causes the brain to become more sensitive to some aspects of life. There are three different levels of a concussion mild, moderate, and severe. All three of these forms all have different symptoms (although some overlap) and different lengths of recovery.
A concussion is a mild head injury which is sustained by a jolt or impact to one's head. “Concussions can be caused by a variety of traumatic events: motor vehicle accidents, penetrating injuries, sports injuries, strikes, and falls”(Schafer, 2014). Side effects of concussions range from clumsiness. slurred speech, nausea or vomiting, headache, balance problems or dizziness, blurred vision, sensitivity to light and noise, sluggishness, ringing in the ears, personality changes, difficulty concentrating and memory loss. A concussion is similar to a bruise on an arm or leg but instead the bruise is on the tissues of the brain. Since people can’t see the damage of the injury to the brain many concussions go undiagnosed or untreated for days weeks or even years. When a concussion goes undiagnosed or untreated it can result in further head trauma: untreated it can lead to blood clots and tumors in the brain, an onset of parkinson’s disease and in worst cases death. However it wasn't until 2011 that the issue of concussions went into the public spotlight.
Concussions are common due to the fact that there is not much protection between the skull and the brain. The medical definition of a concussion is, “ A traumatic brain injury—or TBI—caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or by a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth,” ( What is a Concussion). Concussions can cause temporary loss of consciousness due to the bruising of the brain and the force of the impact. During the impact, “The brain [may] bounce around or twist in the skull, creating chemical changes, sometimes stretching and damaging brain cells” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). That is why concussions can have such a lasting impact. Depending on the extent, most concussions only last for a few days to a week, but some can last for months due to the damage. Concussions are put into categories based on how long they are believed to last so doctors know how long to keep athletes out from strenuous activity. “Concussions are graded as mild (grade 1), moderate (grade 2), or severe (grade 3), depending on such factors as loss of consciousness, amnesia, and loss of equilibrium” (Lava ). With each grade, there are different symptoms and differences in how long they last.
Concussions are a very frightening and dangerous injury. A concussion is a traumatic brain injury in which your brain rattles around in your skull. When you sustain a concussion, your brain may jolt as a result from the impact. This form of brain injury can cause bruising, damage to the blood vessels, and injury to the nerves. Concussions are the most common brain injury. Although concussions are the least serious, they should not be taken lightly. Back in the day, people were unaware of concussions and the symptoms associated with them. As a result, people today especially former athletes are dying from past concussions. (Cantu, R. & Hyman M., 2012) Many people have seen, heard of, or had a concussion and they are relevant to everyone’s life.
Did you know, that someone suffers from a brain injury every 21 seconds (Haas)? Children get concussions all the time, and most of the time they go unnoticed. The majority of concussions happen when one is playing a sport such as football, hockey, or lacrosse. Many famous athletes have had their careers, even their lives cut short due to concussions. Brain damage and death can result from serial concussions (Schafer). When one suffers from a concussion, one’s brain needs time to recover physically and mentally. Between 2002 and 2006, statistics showed that 52,000 people died from concussions and about 275,000 were hospitalized (Fundukian). Everyone’s recovery process is different (“Injury and
However, after years of research and experimenting scientist are starting to untie the blindfold that football coaches and analysts have tied around the eyes of society to hide the true damage of concussions. Part of the reason concussions are not taken seriously is because on television no one ever bothers to explain what is truly happening inside the brain of a concussed person, the injury is just said to be a hit or blow to the head. Yet, what most people do not know is a concussion is actually when the brain is offset which causes the chemical balance in the brain to fluctuate and damage/kill brain cells. In their article, “Concussions and Repercussions”, Donald Redelmeier and Sheharyar Raza discuss the long term effects of only one concussion. They express that one concussion “can damage hundreds of neurons and millions of synapses, thereby contributing to subsequent depression, irritability, impulsivity, or suicidal ideation”(Redelmeier and Raza par 1). Neurons and synapses are vitally important to the function of not only the brain but the entire human body as well. Neurons act as the messenger of the brain by
There are multiple symptoms associated with the receiving of a concussion, but there are three that are outstandingly common among the general population of victims of concussions. Those include sensory changes and deficits, emotional difficulties like depression, and an overall reduction in cognitive functioning. According to Moore, Broglio, and Hillman, a concussion is defined as “a complex pathophysiological process affecting the brain, induced by traumatic biomechanics forces.” Sport-Related Concussion and Sensory Function in Young Adults Simply stated, this means that a concussion is an injury that results from a traumatic blow to the brain. In recent years, concussions have been a popular topic in the media. Whether it be with regards
The answer to that question is as simple as a yes. Even though concussions and mild traumatic brain injuries usually only last ten to fourteen days, if they are not treated properly they can lead to further brain damage. If the brain does not get the rest it needs after a concussion it becomes stressed. A stressed brain can lead to poor performance in school and sports. Focusing for little amounts of time can become impossible, emotional outbursts occur, mental illnesses can develop, and grades can drop.