The Cause And Effects Of Concussions In Sports

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

Mild concussions are the least severe, lasting only for a couple hours to days. The symptoms that go along with mild concussions are minor symptoms that are self-limiting for a couple days but aren 't incredibly dangerous. A common problem associated with mild concussions is when players get a concussion and continue playing their sport anyway. This can cause something called second

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

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.

It happens in an instant but the effect lasts longer. How would you feel to be in a darkroom with no electronics for two weeks? Pretty boring, don’t you think? A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury that is caused by a blow to the head, a fall, or another injury that jars or shakes the brain inside the skull. If the blow to the head is severe enough to cause a tear of a blood vessel under the skull, this can cause an accumulation of blood that will cause the brain to become displaced [Flynn]. There are six types of concussions. The harder you hit your head the worse the injury will take to recover. [Newsela] People with concussions had thinking and memory test scores that were 25 percent

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

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

Concussions are are serious medical issue that teens and young adult are suffering from. There are over 300,000 sports related concussions in the United States each year. A concussion is described by the American Acadmey of Neurology as a trauma induced alteration in mental statues that may or may not result in loss of consciousness. This means that the person has sustained a blow to the head, face or neck, that has caused a sudden jolt of the head. Concussions can lead to headaches, dizziness, blurred vision or mood swings. The effects of a concussion can affect a person life or 30 or more years.

That is why people should recognize the symptoms of a concussion. There are four categories symptoms fall into, somatic, emotional, sleep disturbance, and cognitive. The symptoms that are experienced the most are headaches, nausea, balance problems, dizziness, light and noise sensitivity, and troubles remembering. There are many other symptoms that people experience though. In some cases people have experienced anosmia, or lost their sense of smell from a brain injury (Cantu and Hyman).

If you think you may have a concussion you may be experiencing symptoms that can last for hours, days, weeks or months (Topic Overview). The symptoms for teenagers and adults include nausea/vomiting, not thinking clearly, mood swings, and not sleeping normally. Even young children can experience concussions and some of their symptoms are crying more, lack of interest in their favorite activities, headache that doesn't go away, and changing in eating habits/sleeping habits (Topic Overview). Older adults have a difference in symptoms as well which include, changes in sex drive and having a difficult time standing or walking (Topic Overview). Concussions are determine by a doctor and if anyone thinks that they have a concussion must see a medical professional about it.

Concussion the most common head injury that can occur while participating in sports. There are over 250,000 concussion injuries reported each year in football players. High school football players experience at least one concussion during their season each year. Sport related concussions are most likely to witness, they usually mild, sometimes to never be associated with any other injuries, and they are usually treated initially by a non-medical person. Athletes who participate in contact sports like football, boxing, hockey, lacrosse, rugby, and all snow sports are at high risk for a sport related concussion.

Some may argue that athletes should be let back in the game at least thirty minutes after the concussion occurs. This may help the team win the game. But that is very dangerous, and could lead to even worse injuries than before. A concussion is a brain injury characterized by an impairment of physical functioning, and is usually caused by a blow to the head, face, or neck. According to article one, high school students are more vulnerable to have a second concussion after the first one occurs because of their lack of brain development. The immaturity of an adolescent's nervous system can also prevent them from realizing they're even having a concussion. Multiple objective terms are used by some coaches (such as a "ding" to the head,) to make an athlete and their family assume a concussion is minor compared to other injuries^. After a concussion; athletes can experience headaches, memory loss, and depression; which is not the best thing for their academic standing. These symptoms can last up to six weeks^. Some athletes even lose consciousness several times after having a concussion, which is not looked over. Students have been taken out of

They can range anywhere from a headache and dizziness to vomiting and memory loss. A study by Howell et al. looked at the correlation between concussion symptoms immediately after a mild TBI related sports injury and compared the severity of those symptoms to the symptoms exhibited by the patient 28 days after the injury. It was found that the more severe the symptoms of the patient right after the injury the longer the symptoms tended to last.

Essentially, most doctors and coaches believed being considered fully recovered from a concussion is when the person has no more symptoms, has passed several tests, and or been cleared by a doctor. The higher percent of those surveyed believed that there is no specific time which an athlete needs to sit out, just until symptoms resolved. Specifically some stated that at Warsaw Central Middle/High School’s protocol requires athletes must be cleared by a doctor, then pass an ImPACT test, and be phased back into activity. Being phased back into activity means gradually returning to playing a sport under supervision. Variables for recovery were noted as; severity of injury, age, pre-existing medical conditions, length of time before seeking