Concussions and Their Impacts on Later Life
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
…show more content…
The reticular activating system (RAS) accounts for the level of people’s involvement with their surroundings ranging from sleep to full attentiveness, so if that region of the brain is ineffective a person will have trouble paying attention (“Attention”). Attention deficit problems can be exceedingly detrimental to a student because they are unable to focus on the assignments at hand, constantly having unrelated thoughts or performing other tasks. Coupled with the cognitive problems caused by mTBIs, the adolescent’s grades will continue to suffer especially when they return to their studies before the brain has had adequate time to recover. In a separate study led by Doctor Steven Broglio, a professor of kinesiology and community health at the University of Illinois, previously concussed athletes and athletes with no prior brain injuries were asked to perform several tasks and were timed. The majority of athletes with history of brain injury took more time to perform each task and devoted more of their mental reserves than that of their non-injured counterparts. Dr. Broglio also observed that the previously concussed group had slight balance problems or a different way of walking where they keep their feet on
two concussions, then a third is 2-4 times more likely, and if they 've had three concussions, then
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.
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.
It happens so quickly that you can’t even comprehend it, it’s a quick flash and then it’s like your whole world got turned upside down. Some people call it “seeing stars” or “blacking out.” A temporary blow to the head that causes unconsciousness is called a concussion, and they are becoming a serious issue in sports. The term “Concussion” was used pretty loosely back in the 1950’s. This became a serious issue around the early 1990’s and is now one of the most serious issues in today 's sports. Some myths have been brought up about concussions and many researchers decided to test them out and see if they are fact or fiction. Karen Schrock discovered six things about concussions that are true and many people don’t know them. In my own opinion, three out of the six are kind of common sense, but the other three are more unknown true facts about concussions.
How many people believe what they hear and see on television or the internet? It is astounding to believe that some members of the population will believe anything that is reported in the media without any scientific research or backing. With the popularity of the National Football League, it is easy to believe that any information given by ESPN or other sports broadcasting stations are providing accurate information. However, more scientific studies and research should be provided to fans based on the health of the players. Ever since the death of former National Football League star Junior Seau, which was caused by a concussion, there have been multiple reports to come out about the causes and effects of concussions. However, there are still aspects reguarding concussions that need to be clarified and studied regarding concussions: what are the long term effects of one concussion compared to many concussions, are the people who receive more playing time worse off in the long run, and will repeated concussions lead eventually to a complete mental collapse in everyone.
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
On November 6th, 1869 the young American sport called football was born. In 1903, the addition of the football helmet was introduced; however, the helmet was not mandatory for all players until 1943 (“History of the”). Since the mandatory protocol for the use of helmets, the football helmet has advanced in safety. The helmet evolved from a plastic shell-shaped helmet to a more protective rounded plastic helmet with a face mask and chin strap. After those improvements, the modifications for safety increased. Today, professional football players have impact indicators on their chin straps to identify head injuries. As players have gotten bigger and stronger, head injury awareness is a major part of player’s safety and if they are not aware, it often results in a concussion. Many players and viewers of the game do not know how concussions occur, what the effects are, and how engineers and associations try to prevent the occurrence.
If an athlete was to be impacted on the head on the playing field and was to gain a concussion they should sit out until they are able to fully recover. During the time period after one concussion athletes are more vulnerable to gain another. If a player were to get another concussion during this time period, permanent brain damage may be evident in the future. Also, If the player doesn't let their concussion heal properly it may lead to permanent brain damage in the future.
Concussions can have severe effects on an athlete. They can lead depression, memory loss, and event death. However, with growing research, it is possible to take preventative measures, identify the likelihood of a concussion and engage in treatment. Undiagnosed concussions can lead to more severe injuries and athletes should be concerned about, aware of them and treat them. With new technology, greater awareness, and growing acceptance that concern should be less on winning a game than preventing and treating a concussion, it is possible that one day, concussions may be a rare thing of the
Concussions are invisible injuries and they have a very negative lasting impact on people's lives. A study estimates that over 300,000 sports related concussions occur each year in the United States. These injuries are very bad, and can keep a player off the field for weeks. If it's your star player, then what do you do? Some might suggest throwing them back on the field, but that's the wrong thing to do.
In recent years concussions have become more and more of a topic due to their effects on the people who receives them. Concussions can cause a multitude of problems for a person later in their life whether they suffered from a major concussion or just a minor concussion. These problems can occur if a person ended up with multiple concussions over a lifetime or if they only have had one single concussion The problems a person can encounter are all somewhat connected but very diverse at the same time. Most of the problems a person will encounter will be due to a change in that person's brain but they can range from simple memory problems to suicidal problems.
Concussions are currently one of the most debated, studied and controversial subjects among all levels of athletics. This dangerous brain condition has only been properly studied and monitored for a brief period of time, and until recently, the dangerous side effects of concussions were not among the public eye. Issues such as dementia, migraines and depression are among the issues that those who suffer concussions are at risk for. Looking into the culture of athletics, the mindset that is driven into young athletes from an early age all the way throughout their entire athletic career, no matter the level, to see if there is a correlation between the values that they are taught and their history of possible concussions and concussion
In 2006, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that approximately 1.6 million to 3.8 million sport-related concussions occur each year in the United States (Langois, Rutland-Brown, & Wald, 2006). Sport-related concussions are a subset of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and are defined as a complex pathophysiological process affecting the brain (McCrory et al., 2012). The typical signs and symptoms associated with a concussion include confusion, amnesia, headache, dizziness, nausea, loss of balance, and/or poor concentration (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010).
Have you ever not been able to do anything without being in pain? Have you ever been so tired and confused you don't know what to do? Concussions affect a large amount of athletes and everyday people. Recovering from a concussion is an extremely painful and frustrating process.I overcame my challenging concussion because I dealt with not being able to go on my phone or watch television or read and being bored and my painful headaches.
Almost everyone who has played on a sports team at some point in their life can say they sustained an injury at one point or another. Sometimes these injuries are completely unpreventable and the only thing that can be done is being more aware of that certain injury. Concussions in high school sports is a prime example. This because the potential negative effects of a concussion can be life altering. The effects of sustaining a concussion during high school can be worse than sustaining one in college or in professional sport because that is most crucial time in the brains growth.