The Effects of Concussions on Human Beings

Concussions are a very common injury that can occur. A concussion is common in contact sports like football. It is caused by an impact to the head and can be very serious. They last days, week and even longer than that. Symptoms include headache, dizziness, confusion, nausea, delayed responses, and others. The effects are usually temporary when you get a concussion. The symptoms can be immediate or be a few hours or days after the impact. If you have a blow to the head and experience the symptoms of a concussion you should see a doctor within 1 -2 days. Concussions are very common in contact sports and they can be very serious.

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

Stated in Excerpt 3, "The effects of repeated concussions can be cumulative, and after a concussion, there is a period in which the brain is particularly vulnerable to further injury. If an athlete sustains a second concussion during this period the risk of permanent brain injury increase significantly and the consequences of a seemingly mild second concussion can be very severe, and even result in death." That shows that if you go back in the game not fully recovered, or in that period, and end up injuring yourself again, you could have chances of having more severe symptoms and could even die. That I why concussions should be taken seriously because if you don't take care of it with a proper amount of time then you could potentially die, which most likely no one would want. In Excerpt 4, it states "Recent studies of high school and collegiate athletes have shown that girls and women suffer from concussions at higher rates than boys and men in similar sports, often significantly higher.". This is due to girls having weaker necks, but either way, you should still be cautious when having a concussion because it could effect you later in

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

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.

Mentioned in article 1 and further explained in article 3, depression can take place during the 6 weeks these symptoms take place. But while depression can take place in the 6 week period, it can also last throughout the athlete's life. Specifically stated in article 3, Players who receive a concussion the first time are more likely to receive a second one, also known as "Second Impact Syndrome". Some long term effects include long-term memory loss, emotional distress, depression, slowing of certain movement and higher risk of suicide. These effects can last from a few months up to 30 years. The recovery time for athletes need to be lengthened because short term and long term effects can lead up to death even if the injury is not

Concussions can occur on any play in football, two opponents could hit each other with their helmets or an opponent could tackle the other. Effects of concussions can be long term some of the long term effect are; headache, dizziness, difficulty concentrating or completing tasks (“Long-Term”). These are just a few of the long term effects the most dangerous effect is chronic traumatic encephalopathy. CTE is a progressive degenerative disease which affects the brain of people who have suffered repeated concussions and traumatic brain injuries (“What Is CTE”). The most common effects of CTE include loss of memory, difficulty controlling erratic behavior, behavioral disturbances including aggression and depression and difficulty with

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 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

What is your name? How old are you? Do you know where you are? These simple questions can go unanswered to people who have suffered a concussion. A concussion is defined as, “a complex pathophysiological process affecting the brain induced by traumatic biomechanical forces” (qtd. in Rivera 1). Concussions are most commonly caused by direct force, or trauma, to the head. A concussion, “causes temporary loss of brain function leading to cognitive, physical and emotional symptoms, such as confusion, vomiting, headache, nausea, depression, disturbed sleep, moodiness, and amnesia” (Nordqvist 1). Concussions are common in all sports due to the competitiveness and physicalities that come with the game. College sports include some of the highest rates of concussions with so many competitive athletes in their programs. Concussions are a growing issue in all college sports due to their increasing prevalence, the negligence of severity from the NCAA and coaches, and the long-term mental damage college athletes face.

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that results from a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body that causes the head to move quickly. The sudden movement can cause the brain to move in the skull. This movement can result in stretching and damaging the brain cells and create chemical changes in the brain. A young brain may more susceptible to the chemical changes that occur in the brain after a concussion. These changes may lead symptoms that affect their cognitive, physical, emotional, and sleep functions. While concussions affect people differently, most people will have symptoms that last for a few days to a week. More serious concussions may last for weeks, months or even longer. (Davies,

loss of consciousness. If concussions are linked to permanent brain damage, then it should be required that, after receiving a concussion, athletes stay off the playing field until their brain is completely healed. Brain damage is a critical condition to have and can be permanent if a blow to the head is not treated properly or given enough time to heal completely.

My main question was what are the long term effects of concussions? As I researched I noticed

Not every concussed individual experiences long-term effect from concussions unless it is severe. Some of the common short-term effect of concussions includes temporary consciousness loss, confusion, headache, dizziness, or amnesia. However, those who sustain multiple concussions suffer several serious long-term effects which can lead to retirement for sports athletes. These individuals who suffer from concussions for an extended period show different effects of cognitive impairment while others may suffer from visual processing. Thus it becomes hard for one live normally. If an athlete is suspected to have a concussion, he/she should not return to play as it can be dangerous to them and the other players. There are many cases where high-profile professional athletes retire as a result of post-concussion syndrome due to a repetitive concussion.

The long term affects are memory loss, emotional distress, and increased possibility of suicide: these can last can last anywhere from a short amount of time to a long amount of time. Now if a player was to let their concussion heal properly only the short term affects would take place. The short term affects consist of headaches, changes in sleeping patterns, dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, loss of consciousness, depression, mood swings,memory loss, loss of concentration and a slower reaction time.