Sports Related Head Injury

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.

Recent studies in science have concluded that multiple concussion injuries puts the player not only at immediate risk for problems, but long term health effects including memory loss. Even the most experienced player and coach may not have the proper training or education on recognizing or treating concussions. Concussions in sports remain a large problem. According to CDC research, it is believed that as many as 3.8 million concussions occur in youth through college sports. Unfortunately, less than half of these concussions are properly diagnosed and treated. The reason why so many concussions are left undiagnosed is because of lack of education of officials and coaches, and understanding of the long term effects.

The sports communities that require concussion education include the players themselves; their parents, the coaches, trainers, therapists, and referees; sports organizations/leagues; the media; teachers; and health care professionals. Several gains in recognition and management that impact upon concussion prevention can only be made through widespread of knowledge about concussions. Concussions are a serious issue in many professional sports. Concussions affect multiple sports in many ways. Many sports today are affected by the medical condition of concussions. Today, multiple leagues and professionals are learning how to prepare and prevent these career shattering injuries. With hundreds of medical advancements and a better understanding of the knowledge that the science has, we are assisting athletes to recover from these injuries. In order to understand concussions that lead the role on the games, one must look at the symptoms, injuries, and side-effects of this

The purpose of this study was to determine the association between having a previous concussion and then experiencing concussive signs and symptoms following head impacts. It was hypothesized that previously concussed athletes would have more severe and frequent signs and symptoms of a concussion following a head impact compared to athletes with no previous concussion. To test this hypothesis, 201 college athletes participated in a questionnaire. They were asked about previous concussions and if they experience concussive signs and symptoms when they had head impacts. After the results were all collected, it showed that nearly 60% of athletes who had zero previous concussions reports experiences signs and symptoms following head impacts! compared to nearly 80% of athletes who have had a concussion. These results show a significant correspondence between previous history of concussion and the reoccurrence of concussive signs and symptoms following a head

More than 300,000 sports-related concussions are reported each year in the United States, and although the awareness of concussions and other head injuries is rising, concussions are still very dangerous to young athletes. Some may say that after an athlete receives a concussion, they just have to wait until the obvious, and most common symptoms like dizziness and nausea subside before they can play again; with medication, and constant rest, this may only take 2 weeks, however, depending on the severity of the injury, there could be some other underlying symptoms that are even more dangerous than the obvious ones. After a having a concussion, student athletes are also much more prone to a second, more severe, traumatic head injury (especially

I’m running towards the ball, towards their biggest forward and then….. nothing. All I can see is black. Then I'm back in Tomar Park; I’m playing a soccer game. I was taken out, checked for injuries, and put back in the game. That’s all I remember from the hit, the blow, the day I “got my bell rung.” Concussions are effecting more and more athletes everyday. Coaches, athletes, and sports officials need to be educated on how to recognize, treat, and prevent concussions and head injuries. New research on concussions has shown how dangerous they can be and has created new technology to find concussions. Using the research, programs are being made to inform coaches, trainers, athletes, etc.

Concussions are injuries to the brain that can be caused by any significant blunt force trauma to the head such as a fall, car accident, being struck on the head with an object, or sports injury. Sports are second only to motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of traumatic brain injury particularly among people who are 15 to 24 years old (Solomon, 2006). Pediatric physicians care for a significant number of patients who are involved in sport-related activities in schools or clubs, however most sport-related concussions are never diagnosed because young athletes may not recognize or report the symptoms of a concussion. It is important for physicians to know that although concussions are the most minor of traumatic brain injuries, if not detected and managed properly, they can lead to more serious short-term and long-term issues.

Concussion injuries frequently occur in the United States affecting young children, teens, collegiate, and professional athletes. According to the Journal of School Health, “Concussions remain a serious public health concern as approximately 1.6 to 3.8 million sports-related concussions are estimated to occur each year” (Covassin, Elbin, and Sarmiento, 2012). Public health is bringing

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 is a highly prevalent injury in contact and collision sports that has historically been poorly understood.” (Nelson, 2013) Researchers and medicinal clinicians have become more interested in the post-concussive effects on an individual, specifically on athletes. There is increased knowledge of the negative effects and recovery following a concussion. Researchers are interested in studying more about how athletes are affected post concussive, psychologically and physically, which can impact their daily and future lives.

A research study conducted by Purdue University examined the brains of high school football players. They compared the changes of brains that had been affected by concussions and brains that hadn’t been. Surprisingly, both brains showed an amount of tissue damage (Nader and Reed 1). This further supports the idea for firm concussion regulations, through the fact that concussion symptoms are not always easily recognizable. Many concussions are never diagnosed because their symptoms are so mediocre and unnoticed.

Concussions have been a recognized disease in sports for decades, but the severity of these injuries has been drastically understated. Many sports, are only now beginning to understand and take action to try and better comprehend and treat concussions, and how to care for those who have sustained them. MAny of the major sports in the country have sustained huge backlash due to their lack of attention, to what is now considered a major health crisis in the country. Steps have been taken to action against the growing numbers of concussions and the ways they are

There is still misunderstood information everywhere about concussions, but this sheds some light on the

Many private companies and researchers have taken the issue of concussions head on. Research has drastically increased throughout the 21st century. In the words of Mark Lovell PhD. founding director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Medicine Concussion Program, “90% of what we know about concussions we’ve learned in the past five years.” These private researchers have taken different approaches to solving the issue but they are all working to achieve one goal: the reduction of concussions and the prevention of their long-term effects.

In America today, the biggest threat the sports world is facing is concussions. Over 170,000 people were diagnosed with a sports-related head injury. (Jennings 2015). As time goes further, this amount will only increase because of the fact that athletes are getting bigger, faster and stronger. In fact, this number continues to increase and has already increased 60% since 2001 (Jennings 2015). This is a major statistic because with the rise in concussions, there is a rise in mental and physical illnesses. For example, a person who participates in sports and receives a concussion sometimes decides not to report this concussion and keep playing run the risk of developing long-term brain injuries. Children run the risk of getting a concussion more than adults because of the fact that children’s brain have not fully developed, unless that adult has had a concussion previously (Semple 2015). Even though not all hits to the head results in a concussion, reoccurring banging to the head can result in Traumatic Brain Injury. Traumatic Brain Injury is a condition that occurs over a period of time when the head sustains constant blows. As a result, of constant blows to the head, the corpus callosum (Lao 2015). Concussions should be at the for-front of research regarding sports-related injuries.