Helmets: Preventing Head Injuries

Although football is a rough sport there are many solutions to prevent further head injuries.Players have bigger pads, stronger helmets, and more padding. The shoulder pads absorb contact and protect shoulders and rib cage. The neck pad helps keep head stable and protects neck area. The helmet prevents concussions

The awareness around head collisions and brain injuries within football on every level is very low. It has been reported that on the National and collegiate level the awareness has risen but the awareness on the lower levels of football remain steady (Jordan). Playing the sport can cause many changes to a human being brain (Locker). Even when players do not suffer a concussion or brain injury head collisions in football can cause changes within the brain (Locker). Basically a average tackle can cause changes within a human brain(Locker).Football is a very dangerous sport that contains many untold facts. Great players and icons of football even questioned the game after realizing how dangerous the game was and how it could have affected their

Football can be a very dangerous sport. And although those who play the game believe that they are being protected by the helmets that they wear, the truth is that this may not be the case. In a recent study released by the American Academy of Neurology it has been found that “protection against concussion and complications of brain injury is especially important for young players, including elementary and middle school, high school and college athletes, whose still-developing brains are more susceptible to the lasting effects of trauma”(Science Daily, 2014). The study also found that standard football helmets worn by the majority of players on the field today, only reduce the risk of traumatic brain injury by 20 percent compared to not wearing a helmet at all (Science Daily, 2014).

Safety and equipment have come a long way in football in order to prevent brain injuries. A very important piece of equipment used to prevent brain trauma is the helmet. The helmet has evolved a lot over the years, even more in the past decade. The Helmets main purpose use to be just to stop skull fractures, then they added the facemask to prevent facial injuries. Concussions are more of a recent concern (Hand 1). Overconfidence in the helmets' protective power prompts many NFL athletes to deliver and accept hits that would have killed players of previous generations. Now the helmet is being revolutionized. Helmets aren't only being created to stop skull and face fractures but they are being created to help prevent brain damage such as concussions now. Helmets have gone through testing to see how to design a better preventative helmet. These newer helmets are being designed to reduce the amount of force that is being applied to the head by a hit that is received (Vandantam 2). Virginia Tech football has been monitoring helmet collisions since 2003, courtesy of Dr. Gunnar Brolinson. Dr. Gunnar Brolinson has outfitted the teams helmets with six sensors and a small antenna that records and transmits data to a computer on the sideline. This information collected is crucial because it will help find better ways to design a helmet that will prevent concussions(Goldman 1). Equipment isn't the only important part of football that can help prevent concussions.

The number of concussions in professional and amateur football has been rising and has sparked much controversy in recent years. These concussions are most likely linked with disease and even the deaths of some pro and semi-pro football players. New research is attempting to solve the problem but the issue is still prevalent in football today.

Head injuries, including concussions, particularly in the game of American football, have become a subject of deep concern, much study and even Congressional hearings in the United States.

A head injury can mean brain injury. That's why it's so important to wear your bike helmet. Wearing one doesn't mean you can be reckless, but a helmet will provide some protection for your face, head, and brain in case you fall down.

The most common injury in football is knee injuries. Although there is not a full proof method of getting rid of these injuries, there are many ways of preventing such injuries. Some include stretches, strengthening technique, improving flexibility, and avoiding vulnerable positions. Another big injury in football is concussions. Concussions can be reduced through good technique. Proper tackling involving keeping the head up greatly reduces the force to the head. “MaryBeth Horodyski of the National Athletic Trainers' Association said parents should look for programs that "emphasize things such as keeping the head up during play, seeing what they hit, not using their head as a ramming rod when tackling. "She said everyone needs to be on the same page when it comes to safety. "Make sure officials are actually using the rules to protect the athletes," Horodyski said” (Nadia Kounang). Another method use to help prevent concussions is neck strengthening. "That can make a significant difference in reducing the acceleration the head sees, and in that sense, reducing your chance of having a concussion," Dr. Cantu said.” also “Dr. Cantu said that if done regularly and properly, these exercises can help prevent more concussions than any product on the market, according to the scientific evidence to date.”(NBC

The main purpose that people don't need to wear helmets in a car or on bikes because it will make them not pay attention to what is going up the road and who is beside them,and that is really dangerous to who is driving next to them and another person driving down the road and they look at the person with the helmet on they would stare and bump into somebody and cause a very deadly accident.

The arguments being made are that the children in the United Stated case control studies show that the use of a correctly designed helmet is an effective strategy for decreasing the frequency of and upper facial injury. It is best to use a helmet than to not use it you can get less hurt with it than without it but this has been low in wearing a helmet. The five percent has shown that the use the helmet and the seventeen point six don’t in the 1990s to the 1995.

One of the key things in football that makes it stand out from other sports is the ability to tackle the opponents. Tackling is the main culprit for most of the injuries related to football, players might injure their arms or legs, but the most serious one is when they injure their brain. Out of all the sports played, football causes the most concussions. Concussions can be very serious and lead to months of suffering. This is even more dangerous for kids because their brains are still developing and constantly growing. Having a concussion can slow or affect this growth. These injuries are just too risky for kids to be playing football.

Not many sports are as physically demanding on the body as football. If one has not played, it is hard to comprehend how much physical activity is required. Most athletes don’t think of the consequences of brain injuries when they get into the sport. Today, there are thousands of players who have a huge risk of a severe injury to the head such as concussions. This mainly happens because of the lack of rules or lack of the protection each player is mandatory to wear. Football organizations are trying to make it safer by making more rules. They are also updating the protection football players are required to use. While football can cause damage to players, there are different ways to regulate safety and decrease the number of brain injuries

According to a study conducted by the consumer reports "Bike Helmets: Unused Lifesavers" (1990), the risk of head injuries sustained in a cycling accident can be reduced by 85% by simply wearing a helmet. Wearing a bike helmet is essential, as it protects the wearer by cushioning the head and absorbing the blow in an accident. Three quarters of 1000 bicycle riders die each year from injuries to the head; half of these deaths are children of school-age.

Chong states in “why it makes sense to not wear a helmet” that “7.66 people risk a head injury from motorcyclist.” “The design on helmets themselves may increase the chance of some types of injuries when incidents do occur.”(Howie Chong) Chong also states that, “Those wearing helmets may take risk that they wouldn't otherwise take without head protection.” Even though I game legitimate reasons on not to wear a helmet, I can see where sometimes it can prevent injuries when incidents do occur.”

Seventy percent of all serious crashes involve injury to the head or brain. Eighty-five to eighty-eight percent of these injuries can be avoided by wearing a helmet. Most kids and parents do not understand the real risk in not wearing a helmet but the Helmet Awareness Program will be very beneficial and informative for the kids and parents and hopefully help them take this issue seriously and thus save lives.