The Detrimental Effects of Concussions

Recreational athletes, competitive athletes, high school athletes, college athletes, and professional athletes all have one thing in common: the risk of a concussion. It's impossible to go a season without one athlete from a team receiving a concussion. The more that these concussions are studied, the more we learn about them, such as their detrimental effects on athletes. Because of the risk of health issues and death that come with concussions, doctors, coaches, athletic trainers, and lawmakers are stepping in to protect athletes of all levels from receiving concussions.

Concussions seem to happen recently in the United States. Concussions are very dangerous and should be taken seriously. Most people think that they won’t get a concussion just because they aren’t athletic. There is also no system for data of concussions. That is what makes concussions so dangerous, because you will never know how many people have gotten concussions in the United States.

Supporting Idea/Evidence What exactly is a concussion? There technically isn’t a universal definition but the most common used by sports medicine is MTBI or Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. It caused by an immediate stop that causes you brain to come in contact with you skull. It can cause,” permanent memory loss, depression and personality change.” If not taken serious and treated properly over the correct amount of time you could risk death by having a second hit to your head. (tator,1)

How fast can a player be back and ready to play after an injury? What are the consequences of returning too early to play? These are just some of the questions asked by players, coaches and parents. The player generally does not care about his or her injury they just want to be playing again and helping their team. The importance of player health is more important than finishing a season. The athletes don’t get new bodies. So what is the importance of athlete recovery and health?

A concussion is medically defined by a traumatic injury to the brain. An athlete that has a concussion may experience signs of confusion, may lose consciousness, disorientation, or have a dazed look. Concussions occur due to an impact with the ground or another player. The skull is stopped by the impact, but the brain continues to move inside the skull in a shaking or spinning manner. Medical experts state that, “Violent shaking caused the brain cells to become depolarized and fire all their neurotransmitters at once in an unhealthy cascade, flooding the brain

Recent studies in science have concluded that multiple concussion injuries puts the player not only at immediate risk for problems, but long term health effects including memory loss. Even the most experienced player and coach may not have the proper training or education on recognizing or treating concussions. Concussions in sports remain a large problem. According to CDC research, it is believed that as many as 3.8 million concussions occur in youth through college sports. Unfortunately, less than half of these concussions are properly diagnosed and treated. The reason why so many concussions are left undiagnosed is because of lack of education of officials and coaches, and understanding of the long term effects.

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

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.

As we all know, the human brain is the most insubstantial and vital organ in the human body as it is the command center for every other body part (newscientist.com). Any slight wound to this organ could lead to severe consequences usually encountered at that very moment. It may be an extremely low chance of a major head injury, but it does happen to millions of people annually. One single concussion, provided with the lack of healing, could lead to short-term and long-term memory loss, depression,

two concussions, then a third is 2-4 times more likely, and if they 've had three concussions, then

Lastly, having multiple concussions produce long term effects on athletes. This was proven by a study performed that compared athletes with a history of concussions to athletes with no concussion history using a concussion test known as: Immediate Post Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT). This is a computerized test that measures memory capabilities to determine if an athlete has a concussion. It was taken by the athletes prior to their season to find a baseline level. This baseline would then be used to determine if someone has a concussion by comparing it to a post-concussion result of the ImPACT. Every athlete in this study was given the ImPACT test within five days of sustaining a concussion. The results from this

In the U.S. alone, athletes suffer from roughly 300,000 concussions per year; 3,800,000 concussions were reported in 2012, which is double of what was reported in 2002. A concussion may be defined as 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. This sudden movement can cause the brain to bounce around or twist in the skull, stretching and damaging the brain cells and creating chemical changes in the brain. Concussions are not usually considered life-threatening, but they may result in effects to the brain that may lead to devastating outcomes. Concussions are serious injuries that need to be taken seriously because of their severity and the serious health disorders that may arise.

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.

right, the brain shears and strains on the brain tissue which then causes the concussion (Sports

Now when you start getting a player that has had more than one concussion then that is when more concerns begin to start. The risk of complications is increased in athletes who prematurely return to play and in those with prolonged loss of consciousness or post-traumatic amnesia. An athlete with prolonged loss of consciousness or signs and symptoms that worsen or persist after a concussion should be evaluated in the emergency department. An athlete should not be allowed to resume sports participation until all symptoms of a concussion have resolved. (Sturmi)