Effects Of Concussions

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

On the morning of December first of two thousand and twelve, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher took a .40 caliber gun and shot his girlfriend 22 times inside his master bedroom. He then drove down to Arrowhead Stadium, the Chief’s home stadium, to express his appreciation to his team’s general manager and coach for everything they had done for him, walked away, and then shot himself in the head. This tragic recollection of the murder-suicide case executed by the 25 year old football player paints him as a monstrous and willfully violent man but what if one was to acclaim all of these fatal incidents to too many bumps in the head? Well it has been. Years after this incident, after medical examiners conducted an autopsy on Belcher and they found that his brain showed signs of CTE, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a disease caused by repetitive traumatic head injuries, also denoted as concussions. There have been many documented cases where after contact sport athletes experience excessive concussions, they then seem to develop a seemingly new character as they come to be ill fully violent, overtly aggressive, or even deeply depressive. Many times this may lead to the diagnosis of a mental disorder or may end tragically, as in Belchers case, in the death of others and/or the athletes themselves.

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

Concussions are complex cerebral injuries that result in a series of metabolic events within the brain. The changes are seen in the fragile neuronal homeostatic balances where changes in the elevations of glutamate and potassium have been identified. The effects of concussions have also been seen in the functioning of the brain rather than in the structure of the brain itself. Being identified as mild traumatic brain injuries, occurring due to a bump or jolt to head or neck, concussions can result in both short-term and long-term effects. Although most individuals are able to recover from these head injuries, a small but relevant portion of individuals have been found to suffer from chronic long-term effects including early onsets of Alzheimer disease, clinical depression and other cognitive complications. The occurrence of a secondary concussion during the recovery phase of a primary concussion, also recognized as the second impact syndrome, has been shown to increase the risk for long-term effects of cerebral and neurological failure as the neurons have become incapable of experiencing normal functions after an initial traumatic brain injury. The recoveries from these initial concussions are critical to prevent the onset of long-term effects.

Concussions can occur virtually anywhere, and everyone is at risk of getting a concussion, whether they participate in sports or not. Athletes, who take part in any kind of contact sports, no matter the age level, are all susceptible to suffering from a concussion. Football is one of the sports that expose young athletes to higher risk in getting a concussion. According to Headcase, football is said to have one of the highest concussions rates (64-76.8) when being compared to other sports. According to a study done by Frontline, high school football players are twice as likely of getting concussions compared to college players. In the study conducted, there was a rate of

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

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

Picture a college size stadium filled with parents, students, and fans. Overflowing with crisp fall air and trembling with excitement for kickoff of a high school football game. The whistle blows, ball is kicked , the sound of pads and helmets colliding. But then the second whistle blows and you see your teammate lying on the ground unconscious. Now nothing but that white jersey laying motionless on the turf matters to you. Trainers then EMT’s rush over. They put a brace on his neck, his body on a stretcher and rush him off the field. These are the types of hits apparent in high school age football. Now double the size and speed of that impact. Concussions happen in almost every sport but not in the same severity

Concussions can occur on any play in football, two opponents could hit each other with their helmets or an opponent could tackle the other. Effects of concussions can be long term some of the long term effect are; headache, dizziness, difficulty concentrating or completing tasks (“Long-Term”). These are just a few of the long term effects the most dangerous effect is chronic traumatic encephalopathy. CTE is a progressive degenerative disease which affects the brain of people who have suffered repeated concussions and traumatic brain injuries (“What Is CTE”). The most common effects of CTE include loss of memory, difficulty controlling erratic behavior, behavioral disturbances including aggression and depression and difficulty with

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 devastating effects on athletes including death. In 2015, 271 concussions occurred in the NFL which is the highest number of concussions in NFL history. While the diagnoses of concussions in the NFL has increased, so has the awareness and research which may account for the increased incidence of NFL players with concussions.

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.

In America, the sports industry is one of the largest and most powerful country; whether the sport is football, baseball, basketball, or any of the other sports the country has. Recently reports and documented cases have risen involving some of these sports’ greatest athletes, as well as current players, dealing with concussions (Famous sports concussions, 2012). Numerous athletes, some of them being the sport’s highest profile players, were found to have several mental illnesses and diseases, that have been attributed to head injuries sustained while they were playing their sports. The biggest and most predominant of these injuries is concussions. They can cause not only immediate issues, but also a lifetime of health

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

The consequence of a concussion will generate health issues. “I found myself receiving e-mail after e-mail from people presumably motivated by by keyword searches for ‘football, concussion, trauma, disease.’ Every new study drawing a correlation between head injuries and post career brain disease and would find its way to my inbox, almost daily.” (Fujita 3) As shown in the quote, the word football has a connection with trauma, disease, and concussion. Such a “fun” sport should not be associated with words that define health issues. At a very young age, children have the need and want to play football and be a player and will do