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Essay On Concussions

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In the United States alone, athletes account for about 300,000 concussions each year (11 Facts). A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that causes swelling of the brain 's soft tissue and disrupts normal brain function (Concussion). A concussion has potential to impact memory and coordination for the rest of the athlete 's life along with lead to other, more serious, brain injuries. In order for athletes to reduce the effects from concussions, they need to be educated on the symptoms, ways to avoid the injury, and the possible lifelong effects. For an athlete to report a possible concussion, the athlete must be able to identify the typical symptoms of a concussion. Effects from a concussion are often confused as those as a result of a …show more content…

Feeling dizzy or disoriented after any collision is typical and usually lasts for a few seconds before regaining balance. However, feeling dizzy after a hit to the head is a reason to stop practicing and to receive medical attention. It is typical of athletes to ignore a key sign of a concussion, like dizziness, because the symptom clears up in minutes. Many injured athletes do not know that even if the symptom is resolved after a few minutes, that damage to the brain could still be present. If athletes return to play after experiencing symptoms, they are putting themselves at risk for further brain swelling and nerve damage. Along with typical symptoms, athletes should be aware of ways that the injury can be avoided. In concussion education classes, athletes would be educated on how to wear the proper headgear for their sport, ways to avoid head to head collisions, and what conditions are safe to play in. For many sports, headgear is required and athletes cannot practice or compete without it. Sports involving a possibility for high impact such as football, wrestling, baseball, softball, hockey, horseback riding, skateboarding, skiing, and cycling all require some type of helmet or headgear to be worn while playing (Concussion). While not every sport that requires headgear is a contact sport, head injuries are still likely to occur in all of them. All athletes, even athletes playing non contact sports, should be

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