Concussions In Sports Essay

CTE is a brain disease found in individuals with annals of head trauma. It has specifically been found in athletes with numerous concussions. So far it can only be diagnosed in the deceased, but Dr. Julian Bales and his staff in UCLA have discovered symptoms in living players such as Hall of Famer Anthony “Tony” Dorsett, Hall of Famer Joe DeLamielleure, and NFL All-Pro Leonard Marshall. CTE can cause memory loss, dementia, depression, suicidal thoughts, cognitive and emotional difficulties (Waldron par 1, 2, 3). Is it a compelling issue? A total of 171 concussions were reported in the NFL in the 2012-2013 season; 88 thus far in the 2013-2014 season (Frontline pt). Those are just numbers in the professional level. There are thousands of kids playing football either in youth, middle school, high school, or college level. The diagnosis is currently in progress, researchers are optimistic this could lead to a legitimate treatment, how to manage, and hopefully a cure. Furthermore, this can also possibly lead to an answer to a connection between football and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Junior Seau, Mike Webster, Terry Long, and Justin Strzelczyk (all of whom are dead now) are all men who played in the NFL for an extent period of time. This is not the only thing they have in common. These former players had an uncustomary

My example earlier Aaron Hernandez suffered from CTE according to Dr. Ann McKee of Boston University which brings me to my next point. The physical effects of concussions

Many memories are made in football, but sadly some of the greatest players cannot recall them. The National Football League has been associated with concussions and brain traumas throughout the years, but lately it has been exposed by media and NFL veterans. The league recently “reached a $765 million preliminary settlement with thousands of former players who were suing the league over its treatment of concussions…” (Waldron). Many former players are experiencing the effects of taking hard hits over and over again; they were not properly treated, which makes the injury worse and long term. The concussion issue in the NFL is more prevalent today, because it affects not only the players, but the league as a whole.

A concussion is, “a type of 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 headaches, nausea, dizziness, and sleepiness. Although these symptoms seem terrible, these are only short term symptoms of a mild concussion. More severe concussions can cause life-long problems with memory, learning, coordination, emotion, and even sight (“What is a Concussion?”). One poor play can cause a severe concussion and, furthermore, a permanent end to the life the player knew before the incident. While not all concussions are that critical, every concussion has consequences. Unfortunately, thousands of high school players face these consequences annually. Studies show that, “Some 67,000 high school football players suffer concussions every year, according to official tallies, and many more concussions go unreported” (“Farewell to Football”). Even if an exceptional football player beats those odds, one in every twenty NFL players suffers from at least one concussion in his career (“Farewell to Football”). Players under the age of eighteen are even more likely to experience severe brain damage from the game. According to ESPN, getting hit hard on the field can be the equivalent to being hit over the head

The quarterback drops back into the pocket and begins looking down field towards his receivers. One of the defensive linemen breaks through the offensive line and the quarterback quickly throws the ball away, but not before he is slung to the ground. As the quarterback lands on the ground, his head cracks back and hits the turf with tremendous force; and despite wearing a protective football helmet, the quarterback suffers a severe concussion. Concussions happen weekly in the NFL to players of all positions due to the tremendous force these players are hit with weekly and need to be noted more carefully. The short and long term effects of multiple concussions can be devastating to the human mind. Not only does the brain suffer long term

Concussions are and will continue to be an ongoing issue in almost all sports today. This is especially true in the case of football and the NFL. Concussions are considered the most common and least devastating form of traumatic brain injury someone can receive. Although concussions are considered the least serious type of brain injury they can still lead to and cause many irreversible brain diseases and in some cases people have even lost their lives because of concussions. One of these diseases is called chronic traumatic encephalopathy or better known as CTE. There have been many recent medical developments that have allowed us to learn more about the brain and things that affect it. This increased knowledge has caused unrest

Because they’re having memory loss and its hard for them to remember stuff. If the

Symptoms include imbalance, headache, confusion, memory loss, loss of consciousness, vision change, hearing change, mood change, fatigue, and malaise. Concussions can also lead to dementia, Alzheimer’s, and depression (Carlos Dias Jr.). All of the possible symptoms are very disabling, and some even life threatening. Dr. Frank Conidi reported, “more than 40% of retired NFL players show evidence of abnormal brain structures. And on a series of cognitive tests the players took, half showed serious problems with executive functions such as reasoning, problem solving, planning and attention, while 45% had difficulty with learning and memory (Alice Park).” It is unbelievable that NFL players were experiencing brain damage due to concussions, yet nothing was being done to provide help.

Although concussions are very serious, if the athlete allows an appropriate amount of time and does not come back prematurely then they will be okay (Excerpt 3). Often times, coaches and players don't pay much attention to a huge collision especially in the sport of football because it's not uncommon. Concussions can sometimes slip through and are defined as "invisible" (Excerpt 2). The effects of repeated concussions can be cumulative, and the brain is very vulnerable after injury (Excerpt 3). High school athletes have a higher chance of being concussed again if they have already been concussed once before. Sometimes a player's will comes into play when suffering an injury. Players often play down an injury but with something as serious as concussion, it can be very difficult to do this. There are laws that have to be followed when a player possibly has a concussion and it all depends if there is a medical professional field-side. As long as enough time is allowed for a player to come back, then there should be no problems with suffering a concussion as long as they handled it

Concussions can cause long term effects if not treated properly. A player can recover from a concussion in a few weeks, but the lasting effects of a concussions still prove relevant. Retired players that have suffered from concussions during their careers and were not treated properly felt the long-term effects of sustaining head injuries that caused many to commit suicide, which has led to the NFL investigating their concussion protocol to keep the players safe. As the NFL uses its lead doctors to investigate and understand more about the brain it will lead to gains in the safety of athletes

We all know of someone who has a concussion or who has had a concussion before; maybe even you personally have had one. Concussions need to be taken seriously, whether the victim is under the impression that they got hit forcefully or not they could have a concussion. A concussion is a knock on the head that disturbs the brain. In a concussion the brain may become bruised as it rocks back and forth in the skull. Whatever the victim does, they shouldn’t make things worse and if their head hurts, they should not overdo anything in any of their work, just take it gentle. On average, NFL players get their brains rattled on a weekly basis with an average of 6 each, according to the NFL’s own figures. Out of all high school athletes, thousands

It was September 30th, 2004. Former Pittsburgh Steeler Justin Strzelczyk drove his Ford pickup drunk the wrong way across highway I-90 colliding head-on with a tanker truck and died on impact (Finder). Justin wasn’t on drugs or drinking(Finder). Justin had a bipolar disorder from concussions from when he played football (Finder). According to WebMD “The brain is made of soft tissue. It's cushioned by spinal fluid and encased in the protective shell of the skull. When you sustain a concussion, the impact can jolt your brain. Sometimes, it literally causes it to move around in your head. Traumatic brain injuries can cause bruising, damage to the blood vessels, and injury to the nerves” (Lava). In a short and sweet version; it is a bruise to the brain. Concussions also have different levels

Football and concussions is very scary because ones you see it you know that guy has a concussion but, you mite not know what effects they have. Ok so one of the effects on concussions in football is something called CTE. CTE is is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain found in people with a history of repetitive brain trauma

First, I am going to talk about the science behind concussions, CTE, and why it is such an issue for a football player. Concussions are very damaging to the brain and experiencing a lot of them can lead to CTE. I will also discuss people that influenced the understanding of concussions and CTE. In 2002, a neurologist named Dr. Bennet Omalu tried to tell the NFL about the brain damage he found while doing a former NFL player’s autopsy, but the NFL did not really listen. In 2009, another researcher by the name of Dr. Ann Mckee tried to get the NFL’s attention about her concerns about football players and concussions as well. The NFL once again ignored these assumptions. However, the NFL did listen to Dr. Elliot Pellman, who told the league as early as 1994, that concussions were not a big problem and just part of the game. I will discuss how NFL players were treated when they got their “bell rung” during a big game; and what kind of medical treatment they

Over the past several years, concussions and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) have become hot topics in the world of football. The long lasting effects of concussions and CTE experienced