Short Term Effects Of Concussions

A concussion, which could be caused by a small head movement, is no minor issue as it could lead to brain trauma. Many people are affected by it and many more are vulnerable to it. But the impact isn't the real issue. The real issue is with the lack of healing and recovery. Healing time is crucial when it comes to head injuries and, according to the CDC, most athletes get around 7 days to recover compared to the recommended 1-2 months! Athletes sometimes don't even get time to recover and this could lead to long term effects in life. According to my personal experience, my ability to focus has been greatly reduced because of a concussion. This is a serious issue that is often overlooked my coaches and parents because of their pride and overconfidence in the child. Due to the fact that concussions could lead to permanent brain damage, discomfort, and long term illness, student athletes should be excluded from any athletics until a full recovery had been accomplished.

A recent study of college football players has shown that those who participate in high contact sports and have had a concussion before have a 300% higher chance of having another one in comparison to athletes that have never had a concussion before (Jolicoeur et al, 2007). The NFL and NCAA have enacted several rule changes in order to minimize the occurrence of concussions. These new rules, like many before them, have come under the scrutiny of the very athletes that they were meant to protect. The NHL and NHL Players Association in 1997 together created a program in order to get a better understanding of concussions and how to prevent them (Burke et al, 2011). According to Covassin (2008), athletes who have had more than one concussion take a longer time to recover with each concussion that they suffer from.

Every year thousands of athletes are effected by the sports-related concussions. There are three types of concussions, they are classified as grades which is a special term medical professionals use to classify the severity of a traumatic brain injury. Grade 1 concussions are minute in terms of the severity of damage to the athlete’s brain. This is when there are in a brief daze, slight headache, and their head sometimes rings. (Cunha 581-585). The grade 2 concussions are the moderate concussions were an athlete completely fades to black, there’s no seeing anything, and they don’t know their location, name and various other important pieces of information (Cunha 581-585). Last, we have the grade 3 concussion which is the most severe, and

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

Today’s rates, concussions are occurring more and continuing to grow in young athletes. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports show that the amount of reported concussions have doubled in the last 10 years. The American of Pediatrics have reported that “emergency room visits for concussions in children ages 8 to 13 years old have doubled and concussions have risen 200% among teens ages 14 to 19 in the last decade.” Football has the highest rates of concussions out of all the sports in young athletes, which is 47% out of all reported sport concussions, with 33% of concussions occurring during practice. The sports with descending concussion rates include: ice hockey, girls’ soccer, both boys and girls lacrosse, and boy soccer. 1 in 5 high school athletes will sustain from a sports related concussion during the season. 33% of high school athletes report two or more concussions within the same year. Just from a first hit, this can result in permanent damage and have long term effects, but the second or third hit is what really needs to be watched. Multiple concussions are shown to increase permanent neurologic damage by

We have all heard of the term “sports injury”. Usually an accident that occurs when engaged in a sport, the ideal can apply from something as frustrating as a rolled ankle to the more debilitating shock of a broken arm. Yet the fact remains that these physical ailments will heal, and properly, if they are treated properly. But what about concussions? What are the long term effects? In her brief editorial in TIME magazine, Alexandra Sifferlin explores the effects of concussions and specifically how they affect children if they aren't disclosed.

However, these symptoms last anywhere between 15-30 minutes and loss of consciousness does not occur. Grade 2 concussions can last for 30 minutes or even an entire day. Although grade 2 concussions do not result in loss of consciousness, the results are the same as a grade 1, except in a stronger form. The effects for a grade 3 concussion include mild brain damage and comas that can last for several weeks (Newsome Law Firm, n.d.). Due to the physicality required to compete in contact sports, athletes are often more prone to sustaining a concussion than any other injury. There is no definitive cause of a concussion because of the many factors that can play a role in the sustension of a concussion. Some of these factors include muscle dynamics, forces involved, angle of impact, and hydration (Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, Gittleson, Hadhazy). 1 in 5 high school athletes sustain a concussion during a game or practice while playing their respective sport. This plays a big part in the 3.8 million sports-related concussions that occur each year. Concussions account for nearly 64% of injuries sustained when playing high-school football and about 19% of injuries that occur while playing boys high-school soccer are concussions (Headcase, 2013). These overwhelming statistics are one of the reasons why concussions are the most feared

One major reason an athlete should sit out longer is because of the consequences of suffering a second concussion. As stated in article 1, an athlete is three times more likely to suffer a second concussion because their brain is still recovering. This backs up the fact that an athlete who suffers from a concussion is vulnerable, and should take extra precautions to protect the most important part of their body. Another reason an athlete should sit out longer is because of the potential for long term damage. In article 3, it says doctors suggest getting treated immediately after a concussion for your long term health. It also suggests that multiple concussions can also lead to severe brain damage. Traumatic brain damage can occur at any time, and can lead to brain damage often. The last reason athletes should sit out longer after a concussion is because the types of damage that can occur. After a concussion, the extent of an athletes injuries can be minor or severe. This puts every single athlete at risk to the dangers of a concussion. Although it is proven that a concussion can more than often just result in a headache, it is possible a concussion can go as far as making you lose simple motor skills your brain

Concussions have a huge impact on athletics and student athletes in our generation today. They effect people's lives for the worse and cause setbacks in education and athletic opportunities. Many students who get concussions from athletic activities return to play their sport too soon after getting the concussion, which can cause even more serious issues. Considering 300,000 sports related concussions occur each year, they are very relevant to our everyday lives. Returning to play a sport too soon after suffering from a concussion can result in the risk for a further injury or worse concussion, severe symptoms and healing, and the very likely chance for another concussion to occur.

According to article two some of these symptoms include behavioral changes, mood disturbances, and even cognitive difficulties. Studies have also proven that one single concussion could linger on for thirty years or longer, and with repeated concussions the seriousness increases drastically. In article two it states that physicians usually have to give the okay for the athletes return to the field. It is with guidelines like this that will assure a complete recovery with no possibility of long- life symptoms. And with different cases comes different outcomes, in girls to be more specific, Marjorie Snyder mentioned that girls suffer concussions at higher rates than boys. To summarize, even the slightest impact to the head can cause an immense amount of effects on the human body that could be permanent if not dealt with in the allotted

Those impacts are not good either. Long lasting concussions don't even have to be caused by multiple bangs to the head. As little as a minor bump can cause these consequences. Some of the long term effects are behavioral and mood changes, cognitive difficulties, affected attention and judgement. Long term effects can also happen from the athlete neglecting the injury, which happens often in sports, because people think of it as just a small accident, then return to playing. Sometimes, people don't realize they have a concussion, because not everyone loses consciousness when receiving one. After facing head trauma, athletes can get a post-concussion syndrome, which causes headaches, dizziness, irritability, and depression. The long term effects of a concussion can last for thirty years or longer, which is why these head injuries should be taken

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.

Once a concussion is gained the player then enters a period of time where they are more vulnerable to another concussion. Once an athlete gains a concussion during this time of vulnerability, the risk of permanent brain injury increases. Studies have shown that the effects of one concussion can remain prominent for 30 years or longer after the incident. Therefore, the results of repeated concussions can be very serious and long lasting. Also, if a player doesn't let their concussion heal properly this can also lead to permanent brain damage. If a player was to return to a game too early, long term affects could take place. The long term affects are memory loss, emotional distress, and increased possibility of suicide and these can last can last

The hot topic of concussions in football has attracted a considerable amount of unwanted attention in recent years. This problem is continuing to grow at a rapid rate, while our society is oblivious that a problem even exists. Many of us in today’s day in age know someone who has played football at the high school, collegiate, or professional level. The incidence of players who end up with concussions is astounding. It is interesting that someone who has suffered from a concussion can seem virtually symptom free for many years before it causes a number problems. It is estimated that damage to the brain caused by a concussion can last for decades which opens the door for more potentially life

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)