...Concussions in Athletes Concussions in Athletes Introduction Athletes are faced with a number of health issues including injuries that could require surgery. It is also important to note that there are a number of athletes who have died while participating in sports. Sadly, most athletes do not report these problems in time albeit they are aware of the symptoms that accompany such sport-related health problems. Concussion is one such health problem that is affecting athletes, especially high school students. It has been reported that most of athletes tend to avoid reporting symptoms of concussion in order to avoid being sidelined from playing (Diagnosing and Treating Sports-Related Concussion, 2014). In the United States, it is estimated that up to 3.8 million athletes suffer from concussions linked to high impact sports (Diagnosing and Treating Sports-Related Concussion, 2014). There is, however, a feeling that the figure is under-estimated in the sense that most athletes as well as their coaches are not conversant with the symptoms of this particular health issue. Therefore, concussions in athletes are a serious health issue which should be addressed immediately. There is need to inform athletes and all stakeholders in the sport industry on the symptoms of concussions as well as their capability to be fatal in order to help athletes seek treatment to avoid repetitive concussions which would lead to deaths. The purpose of this paper is to inform the reader, especially...
Words: 2830 - Pages: 12
...Chris Berryman Sport in Modern Society Concussions in Sport: An Analytical Discussion “I had no idea what a nickel was (Kevin Kolb, The Concussion Blog).” NFL quarterback Kevin Kolb has suffered three major concussions since 2010 (Galliford, Buffalorumblings). His most recent one just this past August effectively ended his football career. This is just one example of the many in which multiple or severe concussions have cut short careers in sports. The issue of player safety in sport has become a topic of controversy and debate in recent years. Many professional leagues such as the NFL and the NHL have adopted strict concussion test protocols and procedures for its players. Player safety has no doubt become a major concern in contact sports. The problem is, many of these regulations have yet to address what happens after playing careers are over. What happens to former players’ mental and physical health after they retire? How do players whom have suffered multiple concussions playing contact sports live their lives as opposed to players whom have played non-contact sports such as golf or baseball? What will be questioned in this analysis is do known players that have suffered multiple and/or severe concussions throughout their playing careers due to playing a contact sport develop abnormally high levels of mental and physical health problems at an early age? Previous history on the attempts to lower the frequency of severe injury...
Words: 3098 - Pages: 13
...football is certainly fun and entertaining to watch, the human body was not designed to handle the frequent hard hits to the body and head as a result of playing the sport. Unfortunately these professional athletes end up suffering from brain damage as a result of our thirst and fascination for hard hits and violence. I would explain that while football helmets seem safe, they truly only provide very minimal protection against concussions that cause the brain to bounce, shake and rotate back and forth hitting against the wall of the human skull as a result of frequent football tackles that appear harmless to those watching the sport. To ensure the message hits home, I would bring up examples of their favourite former NFL players such as Hall of Famer Mike Webster who actually suffered neurological effects of playing the sport. It is important to highlight the most severe consequences first, which is that playing football can cause severe trauma to the brain as a result of multiple concussions that these athletes regularly experience. This trauma starts to destroy the integrity of the brain cells, causing a degenerative brain disease known as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). High levels of CTE in a football player’s brain can result in memory loss, agitation and even increased anger management issues. It can also cause death, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS). This neurological trauma affects your ability to regulate your own emotions. You would likely feel...
Words: 3380 - Pages: 14
...purpose of work is to inform his readers about the current issues in sports. The intended audience is the sports nation and everybody involved. This source educates the entire world on the seriousness of concussions. From children playing pee-wee football to adults playing in the NFL, concussions cause brain damage. They can cause a player to be inactive for a month, year, or a lifetime. In some very serious circumstances concussions may cause death. Zirin, Dave. "High Price of Concussions." Progressive Oct. 2010: 42. Wilson OmniFile Full Text Mega Edition. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. <http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/results_single_ftPES.jhtml>. 2 NFL commissioner Rodger Goodell is taking serious steps to make his players more safe. Coaches are looking at what Goodell is doing and are following him by example. Goodell feels that if coaches and players see how serious the problem is, they will find more and more ways to protect the youth. "Heads up! NFL Commissioner Rodger Goodell talks about the importance of protecting student athletes from traumatic head injuries." State Legislatures 37.2 (2011): 21. Gale Student Resources in Context. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. <http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/suic/MagazinesDetailsPage>. 3 E:60 is a segment conducted by the ESPN network. This network covers every single sport and is a very credible source. The purpose was to inform its viewers on the seriousness of concussions. By introducing second impact to viewers, it encourages...
Words: 2713 - Pages: 11
...Concussions In The NFL The Problem * A hit or a bolt to the head ultimately causes a concussion, which is classified as a traumatic brain injury. * Concussions can also be caused by an excessive blow to the body that causes a person’s head to move back and forth, which causes the brain to bounce around or twist in the skull. * Concussions within the National Football League have become a serious health risk due to the fact that athletes were playing in games before their concussions had completely healed, which puts athletes vulnerable to increased injury. * Many retired NFL football players have suffered memory and cognitive issues, such as dementia, Alzheimer’s, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and depression. Indicators of Concussions * During the 2012 NFL football season, there were 265 concussions reported. * From the 2010 season to the 2012 season, the amount of concussions per season only decreased from 270 to 265. * In the 2012, players who suffered concussions have been linked to severe memory loss, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and player suicide. * Mike Webster’s death in 2002 was the first to relate concussions in the NFL with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and death. * In 2012, autopsies of Ray Easterling and Junior Seau both showed evidence of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. * This concerning evidence led to relation of concussions and deaths for several more NFL players. * Chris Henry, a former Cincinnati...
Words: 748 - Pages: 3
...Concussions have been an increasingly controversial topic for many years with both reports on an increase of concussions to more awareness towards the issue, how both effects can happen at the same time is a puzzling mystery. The overall opinion of two medical professionals interviewed is that there is more awareness of concussions, causing more concussions to be diagnosed. From constant lawsuits and present and former athletes speaking out against sport associations, concussions are clearly having a large impact on society. According to Tria Physical Therapist Carly Mattson PT, DPT, OCS, a concussion is either caused by an injury or impact to the head or neck. Although once believed that concussions always caused unconsciousness, that is not always the case. “A...
Words: 1148 - Pages: 5
...popularity as a sport in high school brings communities together in support for the team they love. The game has always been a very physical game with large injury risk, but as the years go on the game continues to become more and more dangerous. Even with the helps of pads and the newest, safest helmets players still have an extremely high probability of sustaining a minor or serious injury. Some of these injuries can create long lasting health problems that can affect an athlete throughout the rest of their lives. Football is to dangerous of a sport for high school students, because it can cause serious injuries like concussions and also leaves many players with multiple long term health issues. Concussions are a very serious injury that many students experience while playing football. The total number of concussions throughout a season maintains a rapid increase, as it develops into a more frequent and dangerous injury. Over 9500 concussions occurred throughout the 2014 high school football season, and...
Words: 752 - Pages: 4
...world of competitive sports is the effects of concussions, and traumatic brain injury to athletes. Concussions were once thought to be an individual type of occurrence, however, it is now learned that brain injury from impacts, can have long term cumulative impact on the brain and mental health. This disorder is now known as CTE, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. In the early 20th century, this was initially called dementia pugilistica, after doctors began noticing that boxers were sustaining brain injuries after repeated impacts to the head. Mild Traumatic Brain injuries are commonly called concussions, which is an invisible injury. A concussion is caused by rapid acceleration or deceleration of the brain within the skull, .A mild traumatic brain injury or concussion is usually downplayed, due to the fact that a single occurrence usually does not lead to any long term serious health issues. A Traumatic Brain injury would be considered a serious concussion. Any type of concussion, mild or major can cause physical issues, such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, light sensitivity, and feelings of fatigue and lethargy. These injuries can also lead cognitive difficulties and affect the ability to concentrate and disrupt short term memory. This commonly resolves within hours or days for a mild event, and upwards of 6 months for a traumatic or more severe concussion....
Words: 983 - Pages: 4
...At least, 300,000 sports-related concussions happen each year nationwide of all ages (Tanner,2). In high school athletics, they happen at a rate of 3 per 10,000 practices or games (Tanner, 2). Many leagues and association across America are being affected by this concussion epidemic. Many players are saying the leagues are not doing enough about it and are profiting off the injuries. This causes many of the leagues to be sued. The topic of National Football league concussion safety has been in the middle of all of the smoke, and there will always be supporters and critics who continue to debate this topic. Concussions happen in sports every day, they are very common in contact sports. First off, a concussion is a brain injury that is caused by a blow to the head or body that shakes the brain inside the skull (WebMD, 1). When you get a concussion, you may not think clearly there are a whole bunch of symptoms that can happen, it can be your thinking or it can be physical. A concussion can last up to a few hours, or they can last days or weeks (WebMD, 4). How long your concussion is really depends on how hard you hit your head. A concussion is caused if your head is hit hard enough that the spinal fluid surrounding your brain is not enough from cushioning your brain from hitting your skull (WebMD, 1). The only way...
Words: 1041 - Pages: 5
...regularly in all contact sports. Concussions, from brain injuries can cause long term effects and can lead to dementia. Too many concussions occur in high school athletes that participate in contact sports. One may suggest that contact sports should be banned from all high schools. Non contact sports should become a part of the physical education curriculum so that young adults should not have to suffer the consequences from head injuries in contact sports. There are a large number of dangerous contact sports that athletes participate in today. Examples of the most common contact sports include: football, basketball, soccer, wrestling, field hockey, and lacrosse. Research suggests that these sports have the most severe injuries. High school students that participate in contact sports are endangering their health, lives, and future. Contact sports have been a part of school age children’s life for a long time in America. Whether it be football, soccer, lacrosse, wrestling, or the recent addition to American sports, rugby. Millions of children in middle school or high school have worked hard and enjoyed playing. In recent news articles contact sports have been deemed bad for children. Doctors have been studying the statistics and have come to the conclusion that children have been developing physical injuries resulting from certain types of contact sports. One of the new findings from these studies is that once a person especially a child receives a concussion, the probability that...
Words: 690 - Pages: 3
...repetition saying, “play through the discomfort and pain, it sucks not but it will pay off in the end.” Many athletes are taught that sports are all about fighting through struggles; if that task cannot be completed then they are not resilient enough for sports. “Despite the NFL’s best efforts, however, football is an extremely physical and violent game, in which concussions and head injuries are inevitable. Players continue to hide concussion symptoms from coaches and trainers to avoid being taken out of a highly contested game and possibly even losing their starting positions permanently” (Drysdale 427). In the long run it is better to address the injury right away instead of trying to stay in the game. It would be most beneficial to sit out the few games required for recovery, than to play and worsen the injury. NFL players did what any athlete would do and stay in the game, regarding whatever their condition was. They did this to avoid the disappointment their teammates might see in them, but also the satisfaction they would get when...
Words: 2668 - Pages: 11
...I am so happy you wrote to me a topical question. Football is the most popular sport in America. More than hundred people tune into watch the Super Bowl every year. Playing football is the great way to improve healthy lifestyle, teamwork, and concentration, etc. Although there are a lot of great reasons to playing football; there are also some problems that must be considered. Injuries are the part of football. Getting hit happens normally and the most dangerous problem when playing football is head injuries which can lead to health issues later in life, or cause a person’s psyche. Professional football players have stand a lot of jarring hits to their heads, and getting hit regularly will cause concussion. Brain damage is an important problem in football and you need to be aware of there are a lot of research showing that it is dangerous to let kids play football and there are also some true stories about kids died because of brain...
Words: 1386 - Pages: 6
...Today, concussions are a serious factor in most sports and have moved to the center of attention in public awareness. According to the Sports Concussion Institute, a concussion is “a complex pathophysiological process that affects the brain, typically induced by trauma to the brain” (2016). Most concussions occur without the individual losing consciousness yet these impairments can lead to dementia, aggression, confusion, impaired judgment, and depression and may not be treatable. In fact, per Marcos Abreu, “the American Academy of Neurology discovered that athletes are at greatest risk of repeat injury in the first 10 days’ post-concussion and suggested that the more head injuries a person suffers; the more likely they are to face complications...
Words: 1013 - Pages: 5
...the Game of Football 250,000 people age 19 and younger were treated in emergency rooms for concussions and other sports- or recreation-related brain injuries in the country in 2009. That was an increase from 150,000 in 2001 (Cleared to Play). Did you know that high school athletes sustain an estimated 136,000 to 300,000 concussions per year (Moms Team)? How about that 24.7 percent, out of all the patients who were admitted into an emergency department with a traumatic brain injury (TBI), obtained their head injury while playing football (Swarm Interactive)? That is higher than any other sport or activity associated with TBIs. Brain injuries contribute one third of all injury-related deaths in the United States and 75 percent of those injuries are concussions (CDC). It is easy to conclude that head injuries are extremely dangerous and can be easily obtained. For these reasons, people should be informed of how football can be immensely risky to play and how the sport is associated with brain injuries. Numerous retired professional football players now suffer from a degenerative disease called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). This disease is caused by countless hits to the head or body, causing small concussions (ESPN). CTE is a build up of a protein that garrotes brain cells that control one’s emotions, memory, perceptions, and more. As far as we have seen, the disease also causes serious depression, dementia, and memory loss. There is no known cure, but scientists and researchers...
Words: 1659 - Pages: 7
...pads, and helmets was always a fun time. Back in high school when the coaches would make you have two a day practices to get ready for the fall. In the back of the players minds, and even their parents is the idea of a very bad injury or even a concussion. What is a concussion you might ask? Concussion is a temporary unconsciousness caused by a blow to the head. The term is also used loosely of the after effects such as confusion or temporary incapacity. Concussions can be very difficult to spot especially since plays don’t necessarily have to be knocked out in order to receive a concussion. This is why players who suffer from head injuries are often told to shake it off and get back in the game. Many concussions in high school go undiagnosed due to lack of staff, player, and family knowledge about concussions. Being able to recognize a concussion is the first step in protecting athletes. Ways to recognize a concussion that has either been knocked out or still conscious would be if a player feels dizzy, confused and forgetful, complains about headaches, and/or vomit or feels nauseous. Concussion symptoms can either occur right away or in some cases they can begin weeks later after receiving the hit that caused the concussion. Concussions have been around since the beginning of time even out of sporting events like Football. Times have changed since the very first football game was invented. In the past players would not even use protective gear to protect them from different injuries...
Words: 1503 - Pages: 7
