Age Of Concussions Essay

A nationwide epidemic is occurring throughout the United States and is on the rise. Although many know about it, they fail to realize the side effects and diseases that can that lay dormant, waiting to be awakened and devastate their lives and potentially end them. Concussions are increasing annually among athletes in contact sports. Children and adults participating in these particular sports are potential victims of concussions and the long lasting side effects. The concerns of athletes receiving concussions is rising because as studies progress, many are leading to the conclusion that concussions impose future health complications.

In the article “Concussions Knowledge in High School Football Players” from the Journal of Athletic training on October 2014, writers Janie Cournoyer and Brady Tripp discuss that high school athletes fail to report symptoms of concussions due to their lack of knowledge on concussion education. For example, after a recent survey, Janie and Brady stated that 54% of participants receive knowledge of concussions from their parents, 60% from an academic source and 25% had no knowledge on what concussions is. The authors also included that most high students who don't report their concussion will likely suffer from post-concussion syndrome and second impact syndrome. It’s dreadful to hear that young athletes can suffer so much just because they lack information on how to evaluate a concussion. Not just the student athlete but the writer explains how parents and coaches have minimal knowledge on evaluating a concussion and choosing whether to put the athlete back to play. In addition, Janie and Brady mention that common symptom presented in a concussion were headaches, dizziness, and confusion. These all can be very harmful to a young athlete because it puts their health at risk. As stated in the article, about 60 - 70% of athletes who suffer a concussion will experience a coma or

In high school sports 6% of 2.4 million sports related emergencies are concussions. That number is continuing to grow and won't go down. Most concussions are football related and that is still rising too. When I was in seventh grade and playing football I had a concussion but didn't realize I had one and played through it, throughout the year I had a insane headache and dizziness that didn't

While concussions are an unpreventable injury with current technology, the media is blowing it out of proportion, saying it causes brain deformities later in life for all players. This “evidence” is anecdotal, because the NFL only tested players who had played professional or college football. High school is a much different game in that it is less violent. The hits are decidedly less powerful, because in a sport where “bigger, stronger, faster” is the goal, high school players are “smaller, weaker and slower” than the pros. When a player has experienced or shown signs of head trauma (e.g., loss of consciousness, visual disturbance, headache, inability to walk correctly, obvious disorientation, memory loss), that player should receive immediate medical attention from an appropriate medical provider and should not be allowed to return to practices or games without

Recreational athletes, competitive athletes, high school athletes, college athletes, and professional athletes all have one thing in common: the risk of a concussion. It's impossible to go a season without one athlete from a team receiving a concussion. The more that these concussions are studied, the more we learn about them, such as their detrimental effects on athletes. Because of the risk of health issues and death that come with concussions, doctors, coaches, athletic trainers, and lawmakers are stepping in to protect athletes of all levels from receiving concussions.

Although concussions are very serious, if the athlete allows an appropriate amount of time and does not come back prematurely then they will be okay (Excerpt 3). Often times, coaches and players don't pay much attention to a huge collision especially in the sport of football because it's not uncommon. Concussions can sometimes slip through and are defined as "invisible" (Excerpt 2). The effects of repeated concussions can be cumulative, and the brain is very vulnerable after injury (Excerpt 3). High school athletes have a higher chance of being concussed again if they have already been concussed once before. Sometimes a player's will comes into play when suffering an injury. Players often play down an injury but with something as serious as concussion, it can be very difficult to do this. There are laws that have to be followed when a player possibly has a concussion and it all depends if there is a medical professional field-side. As long as enough time is allowed for a player to come back, then there should be no problems with suffering a concussion as long as they handled it

In high school the athletes are more prone to concussions, and can take longer to recover than the older students. After getting that first concussion, you are 3 more times likely to get a second concussion. Some coaches decide to put their player back on the field if they see the player has no noticeable injuries, which can be very bad

Studies show, by law a player must sign off by a medical professional before the player can return to the field. Studies also show, concussions and or head head injuries are linked to permanent brain damage. The question frequently asked is "should injured athletes be required to sit out for periods of time to allow time for the brain to heal completely?" As an athlete, I think athletes should wait. Only because if a player gets one concussion and goes back to their sports and gets hit in the head, that could lead to permanent damage for not giving the brain time to heal from the previous injury.

By the athlete getting a concussion especially in high school it could lead to the person not being the same like, judgement and attention could be changed. Concussions are very serious and should be taken care of. Some athletes do not want to tell their symptoms because they could be put out of the game. It is important that they get help so they aren't left out of the game forever.

(The Atlantic). Concussions are an extremely dangerous thing to happen to anybody at any age but Dr. McKee explains that if a younger 6-13 year old athlete would have a concussion that it would be more severe to the development of younger athletes compared to NFL or college

In the United States alone, athletes account for about 300,000 concussions each year (11 Facts). A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that causes swelling of the brain 's soft tissue and disrupts normal brain function (Concussion). A concussion has potential to impact memory and coordination for the rest of the athlete 's life along with lead to other, more serious, brain injuries. In order for athletes to reduce the effects from concussions, they need to be educated on the symptoms, ways to avoid the injury, and the possible lifelong effects.

The probability of having more concussions in the future after having one is very high. Having a second concussion is known as the "second impact syndrome". After getting a concussion, there is a period of time where the brain is highly susceptible to further injury. During this period of time, if an athlete experiences another concussion it can cause extreme brain damage, sometimes resulting in death. Student athletes may not always be taking the correct precautions for a healthy recovery. Most of the time the athletes are anxious and ready to get back on the field rather than using the appropriate precautionary measures.

Concussions can occur virtually anywhere, and everyone is at risk of getting a concussion, whether they participate in sports or not. Athletes, who take part in any kind of contact sports, no matter the age level, are all susceptible to suffering from a concussion. Football is one of the sports that expose young athletes to higher risk in getting a concussion. According to Headcase, football is said to have one of the highest concussions rates (64-76.8) when being compared to other sports. According to a study done by Frontline, high school football players are twice as likely of getting concussions compared to college players. In the study conducted, there was a rate of

In rugby, the rules have been modified to dictate the manner in which players can return to rugby. In my personal experience with my own concussion in rugby, once you were suspected to have taken a hit hard enough to the head or neck, you were taken out of play for the rest of at least that day, and had to be fully assessed for concussion signs or symptoms. After this, should a player be found to have a concussion, they are not allowed to return until symptom-free for at least two weeks, and with the express permission of a doctor. The World Rugby union suggests that after a concussion, youth players ought to rest for two-weeks minimum, and then once the player is completely symptom-free, undergo a gradual re-introduction to play. This is a six-step process including a rest period, then light aerobic exercise, followed by two stages involving sport specific exercises such as running drills that require no head impact activities.

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.