Life Is All About Taking Risks

Concussions can truly mess with an athlete’s brain and can give him or her lifelong troubles.

Concussion is a brain injury caused by movement of brain within the skull due to external forces that may cause sudden acceleration or decoration of a person such as collisions. It is a traumatically induced transient disturbance to the functioning of the brain caused by complex pathophysiological process (Harmon et al.). A bump, blow, or jolt to the head may cause concussion. Concussions also emanates from a blow to the body that causes the head and hence the brain to move quickly back and forth, causing the brain to bounce around or twist within the skull. Many people/studies refer to concussions as mild traumatic brain injuries (MTBI) (Harmon et al.).

Contrary to popular belief, a concussion is not a bruise to the brain caused by hitting a hard surface. Indeed, no physical swelling or bleeding is usually seen on radiological scans. The injury generally occurs when the head either accelerates rapidly and then is stopped, or is spun rapidly.

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)

Concussions are injuries that can occur in day-to-day life but are more commonly found in sports and physical activities. They are injuries that can be avoided, but when they happen they can be very dangerous. Through my years of playing football I have been diagnosed with two separate concussions, but they were both caused by playing football. There are ways to avoid concussions and the techniques should be taken seriously or they can have serious consequences. In this speech I will discuss what concussions are, how concussions happen, and the danger they present when diagnosed with one.

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

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) have always been a problem in sports and especially in contact sports like football. Since the beginning of football there has been different styles of head protection, from no helmets at all in very early stages to the modern day helmets we have today. In order to know how the evolution of the football helmet has made head injuries less common than they originally were, we have to know what is a concussion and how someone gets one.

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

The treatment for a concussion used to be as simple as taking time to rest, or smelling bath salts before returning to play. In today’s world, concussions are more appropriately recognized as a serious head injury. In order to correctly diagnose and treat concussions, professional action needs to occur. Preventative measures, proper assessments and diagnosis, correct treatments, and increasing awareness are a few ways to reduce an issue down to a more manageable position. Concussions are a common threat in many aspects of life today. From contact sports to accidental falls, head injuries are an increasing issue that needs to be recognized as such. Two to four million concussion injuries occur from sports and recreation settings in the United States every year (The American Academy of Neurology). Most of these injuries result in a full recovery, but there are people who are left with dehabilitating injuries for the remainder of their lives. Thankfully it is becoming well known that these problems exist, and many people are starting to take action.

Your brain is surrounded by spinal liquid which is cover by your hard skull. the liquid around your brain keeps it from banging into your skull but if your head or your body is hit hard your brain can crash into your skull causing an injuring. There are many ways to get a concussion. The most common way are fights, falls, car accident, and/or bike accidents. Although concussion have also happened due to the fact that people participate in sports or activities such like football, boxing, hockey, soccer, skiing, or snowboarding.

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.

When someone is diagnosed with a sport related concussion, it not only affect them, but it also affects the people around them. While playing sports that involves high impact to one’s head the athletes should already know that they are putting them self’s at risk of having a sports related concussion. Concussions can happen in almost any sport. The most popular sports that are known for having concussions will have to be American football and lacrosse of both genders. In the past, concussions were rarely heard about in youth sports, however, with today’s knowledge doctors can see the symptoms rather than in the past when people barley knew what a concussion

Concussions are caused by a sudden jolt or impact on the skull that causes the brain to hit on the inside of the skull according to Dr. Maryse Lassonde, a neuropsychologist and the scientific director of the Quebec Nature and Technologies Granting Agency(Nordqvist). She carried out visual and auditory tests to players of the Montreal

Concussions are getting more attention than ever, Some getting as bad as not being able to play anymore sports. Also, the harsh concussion can interfere with school and their sleeping schedule. People also believe that it will also interfere with their social life and health.

Concussions, also known as traumatic brain injuries, occur when your brain is violently impacted inside of your skull. Concussions are sadly common for college athletes and professionals and college ball. Concussions make up 7.4 percent of all