In the sports world today, there are many different injuries that athletes experience and one of the most devastating injury is a concussion. Concussions can happen to anyone, in any sport, but we tend to see most concussions in contact sports (Świerzewski 1). While having an informal conversation with my dad about football, he told me it was common for athletes to receive a head injury in a game and continue to play as if nothing was wrong. While watching SportsCenter, I found that some of the greatest retired athletes don’t remember the best moments of their careers due to the lack of treatment. The worst aspect of concussions is that the symptoms can be delayed; in some cases, it’s only a headache so athletes don’t seek medical treatment. Multiple concussions over time can lead to life-threatening complications due to the damage they cause to the brain. Concussions can happen to anybody at anytime, but there is more to concussions than meets the eye. 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. A grade 1 concussion
two concussions, then a third is 2-4 times more likely, and if they 've had three concussions, then
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
Recently, an enormous amount of attention has been given to the long-term effects caused by a concussion. Despite the fact that the understanding and awareness as to the severity of this traumatic brain injury (TBI) has greatly improved, concussions are commonly disregarded, undiagnosed and/or under-treated. Unlike an external injury that is easily seen, a concussion is an internal brain injury; therefore, without the use of diagnostic imaging, the concussion itself is invisible. However, symptoms can be helpful in diagnosing a concussion when diagnostic imaging is not readily available.
Head trauma from concussions can be extremely detrimental to a person’s body so that such things as death can occur. Everyone knows that concussions are not a good thing but not everyone knows how severe they actually are. Concussions are becoming an epidemic in sports and a solution should be drawn up to help the players in sporting activities.
Many people hear the word “concussion” and think of it as being just a simple headache; however, not many know the significant health consequences associated with receiving a concussion. Concussions can have a variety of adverse effects on a person, some of which include sensory changes and deficits, emotional difficulties like depression, and an overall reduction in cognitive functioning. Abnormal eye movements and a reduced sense of touch are examples of sensory changes and deficits that are common with concussions. Individuals on the receiving end of concussions also deal with emotional difficulties including depression and even certain forms of guilt. Reduction in overall cognitive
Parents across the United States are on the edge on whether or not they want their children to play football. The answer is very simple: the benefits far outweigh the danger. Media across the globe is over-exaggerating evidence about injuries, specifically the most controversial one by far, the concussion. For example, the new movie “Concussion” featuring Will Smith illustrates a doctor’s quest to expose the NFL for something they aren't hiding. Concussions at this point are common knowledge, and although they are dangerous, they are only dangerous if not treated properly. If a player is found to have a concussion, they will not be able to play for 2-8 weeks depending on the severity. As long as there isn’t another
Once flippantly referred to as having one’s bell rung, mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) or concussions are no innocuous contusions. Annually in the United States, approximately 1.7 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury that is confirmed through diagnosis. Of these, roughly 75% are categorized as mTBIs or concussions, although the total number of concussions may be slighted considering 81-92% of these injuries do not result in loss of consciousness. Recent controversy concerning professional athletes and their mental health has brought to light evidence that concussions may cause severely deleterious effects on a person’s wellness in later life. This poses the question, to
In today’s society, football is worshiped and the risks taken by the players are seen as signs of strength. Athletes risk their bodies hoping to win the game; however, it is not the gratification of winning a game that some players go home with. Off the field, some football players experience headaches, lack of concentration, memory loss and even depression. These are all symptoms causes by a concussion. In the eyes of a football player, a concussion is hardly important when there is a game to be won. It takes a lot of
In many recent studies, scientists and doctors have been making significant discoveries about the difference between women’s and men's rates of concussions in various sports. This is shown through the process of how women and men deal with concussions, statistical data, and the equipment for both women and men.
People can get concussions through many ways; common causes are by playing sports or being in a car accident (“Concussion”, 2014). A traumatic force to the head is not the only way to get a concussion. A direct impact to a person’s upper body can cause the head to be shaken forcefully causing the brain to hit against the skull (Purcell, 2014). A person doesn’t have to lose consciousness for it to be considered a concussion. There are 3 types of concussions, mild, moderate, and severe (“Concussion (Traumatic Brain Injury)”, 2015). In a mild concussion, a person does not lose consciousness and usually has symptoms that are no longer than 15 minutes. In a moderate concussion, a person also does not lose consciousness and the symptoms lasts more than 15 minutes (“Concussion (Traumatic Brain Injury)”, 2015). In a severe concussion, a person loses consciousness and usually cannot recall what happened prior or after the incident (Concussion Overview,
A concussion may also be known as a mild traumatic brain injury which is caused by a disturbance in the brain which results from trauma that has been transmitted to the brain either indirectly or directly. The brain is composed of soft tissue which is supported by spinal fluid and it is protected with a hard skull so that when a person gets injured in the head area, it allows the brain to slightly move around inside the skull. A person may get concussion when the brain hits against the skull which can lead to bruising of the brain, injury to the nerves and tearing of blood vessels. A concussion is generally classified into three different grades, this includes; Grade 1 concussion is mild which does not result in a loss of consciousness but starts to have symptoms that last for around 15 minutes, Grade 2 concussion is moderate and does not result in a loss of consciousness but symptoms will start to last for a longer period of time, usually around 20 minutes and lastly Grade 3 is server and the person loses consciousness for a short period of time. For example if an athlete gets knocked over by another player due to the force exerted on them, as there head hits the ground, the forward momentum then causes the brain to move within the skill which leads to signs and symptoms of concussion.
While a concussion might not seem harmful at the time, it can be harmful for some people later on in life because constant concussions and hits to the head can cause a person to be diagnosed with ALS. When someone gets ALS it’s because there is motor neurons in the brain and spine that control movement and when these die, it leads to the body being paralyzed. For athletes and for some unlucky people, this can happen when a protein from the brain goes into the spinal cord which is harmful and can cause clogs that kill the motor neurons in the brain. The spinal cord is connected to most parts of the brain and if the brain cannot connect to the body parts, then it cannot use that part of the body, and essentially this is what is happening slowly
When it comes to sports, they can be a great way to stay in good health and to make a living. However, in today’s day and time, when it comes to playing sports the more vigorous and completive they become we see the risk of injuries increase. One of the more common injuries that occur in today’s sports is a concussion. A concussion is a very common injury, practically in the sport of football, both at the collegiate and national level. When it comes to causing catastrophic trauma to the brain multiple times, it could potentially cause the athlete to die. MTBI’s known as mild traumatic brain injuries are a touch topic to both talk and research about because they are often overlooked because the majority of the findings have failed to provide
When I was in sixth grade I had trouble focusing and I would always get bad headaches. I was playing football then and when I got hit, it was the worst pain I had ever dealt with in my entire life although no one could tell me why. Everyone thought I had concussions, but I did not have the symptoms of a concussion at all. There was a spot on the back of my head that was about the size of a dime at first. My mom noticed it at the end of October while giving me a haircut and just thought it was a calcium deposit. In the next month it had grown to the size of a quarter, so I went to the doctor. This is when I found out I had a tumor growing with cancerous cells on the outside of my head.
Concussions can be caused by various things, but usually they are from a blunt impact to the head that transmits nerve waves to the brain. ¨Concussion is defined as ‘as a complex pathophysiological process affecting the brain induced by biomechanical forces’. Concussions typically occur following direct impact to the head. The resulting impairment to brain function generally is short term...7-10 days.¨ (Halstead). This means that if a strong enough impact were to hit a person’s head or any part of their body, waves can be transmitted to the brain causing a temporary loss of consciousness and function. Sports are one of the leading causes of concussions. Hits are more likely to happen within sports because they are hands on, unpredictable at times, and people get very competitive so they don’t take into consideration the injuries. Most sports related concussions are without the loss of consciousness, but it all depends on the intensity of the hit. Concussions can happen to anyone. A person does not have to be a certain age to develop one. Any person young or old that gets a hard enough knock to the head is likely to