The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge and opinions on concussions of high school coaches from a geographi- cally large yet rural state in the northern Rocky Mountains of the United States. Few medical issues in sport are more important, or have had as much publicity recently, as concussions. The exposure gleaned from tragic health issues among professional athletes post- concussion has motivated college and professional sport agencies to modify and enact strict guidelines in the diagnosis and treatment of suspected concussions. Yet underdiagnosis and mistreatment by some (former University of Michigan coach in 2014) highlight the need for continued education and enforcement of the current guide- lines. Obviously, when a head…
Many sports can cause concussions, which can be changed by getting better equipment and adding other sports that won’t be as dangerous. Even though the sports are dangerous getting better equipment can help make the sports less dangerous. If the better equipment would too…
The movie concussion was the first time of the correlation between concussions and football. As I read Nationwide Children’s article, “Concussion in sports”, allowed me to increase my knowledge. Throughout the article, the author categorized what is a concussion and how it affects players. During reading, I found that concussions are a serious issue in sports, because it can cause severe brain damage to an athlete. This is concerning because the brains is one of the most important parts of a person’s body and if effected it could change a person life forever. Furthermore, I found it upsetting that the NFL does not make the risk of playing football known. Although, I understand the NFL provides minorities with opportunities to become successful.…
ex-NFL player has to write all his thoughts and activities in a small notebook. If the…
Soccer is a sport with a rich competitive tradition celebrated by millions of people spread over more than 200 countries on six continents. However, soccer can be very hazardous to the player, professional, or the common fan who picks it up, playing soccer could result in several devastating injuries such as, a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), stress fractures, and concussions, which all have negative effects on a player’s performance.…
Concussions are hard to define since doctors and scientists still know little about them. Ultimately, a concussion is a complex pathophysiological process affecting the brain, induced by traumatic biomechanical forces or a direct blow to the head, face or elsewhere on the body with an impulsive force transmitted to the head (Alan B. Ashare. 2009). The symptoms of a concussion vary. Typically a concussed person will experience mental clouding, headache, and dizziness. Severe symptoms have been reported such as vomiting and loss of consciousness (Anthony P Kontos, Michael Collins and Stephen A. Russo. 2004). Symptoms are often experienced up to six to eight weeks post injury and have even been documented up to six months after (Anthony P. Kontos, Michael Collins, Stephen A. Russo. 2004). If symptoms are not visible they have to be self-reported which allows athletes to hide their concussions. The most efficient way to stop athletes from being able to hide their concussions and to test a possible victim for a concussion is to do a series of tests before and after the concussion occurs. An Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive test (ImPACT) is used before the athlete plays their sport so they have a baseline to compare to in case of a concussion. An ImPACT test measures…
A major problem in the United States and rest of world which its vast popularity is beginning to make a bad reputation for…
Estimates regarding the chance of an athlete in contact sport experiencing a concussion may be as high as 19% per season. Common signs reported by athletes that has suffered from a concussion may include: headaches, nausea, dizziness, blurred vision, sensitivity to light or noise, and loss of memory. Acute evaluation continues with the assessment of concussions. First, the athlete should establish the presence of any loss or other alteration of consciousness (LOC). LOC is relatively rare. LOC can be very tricky. Athletes may lose consciousness very briefly and it may not be directed by others. LOC represents a state of brief coma in which the eyes are closed and the athlete is unresponsive. The most common is when the athlete makes no attempt to brace him or her from falling, due to a blow to the head. CT,MRI, and EEG tests are not useful in identifying the effects of a concussion. Usually the…
In sports, everyone who commits to playing for an organized team knows that there is a large risk. Athletes are being injured in the sport of football. The danger of full contact sport because it is so widely commercialized in for all ages.…
Picture your favorite player from your team out for the season because of multiple concussions. This is said mostly the NFL. It is dangerously increasing players chances of getting diagnosed with the diseases CTE’s and ALS. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS is caused by overtime head trauma and concussions. Lou Gehrig was the first ever known athlete to get diagnosed and died this disease. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy are multiple diseases like Alzheimer's.…
"Short term concussion effects (headaches, change in sleep patterns, dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, loss of consciousness, depression, mood swings, memory less, loss of concentration, and slow reaction time). Long-term concussive effects (long-term memory loss, emotional distress, depression, slowing of some types of movements, and increased possibility of suicide) may last a few months to many years." (Article 3) Concussions usually take longer than 7 days for 10% of athletes, researchers state. Not only are high school athletes prone to concussions, females receive them easier than males as well. "Data states that girls suffer more from concussions than men in similar sports." (Article 4) With all possible future damage physically and cognitive, it is safer and should be ideal for a student athlete to sit out of their sport until recovered…
Two years ago, a soccer ball was blasted into the side of my head and knocked me to the ground. It left me with a concussion that not only took me out of soccer for six months, but also affected my day to day life. For months, it made me nauseous to even jog around the block or walk down a crowded hallway. I was in physical therapy, vision therapy and on a special learning plan at school. Even though the blow to my head could have altered my life completely, I pleaded with my parents to let me continue my soccer career. It took two more minor concussions to make me realize it was not safe for me to play anymore. Looking back on my time playing soccer, I question why I kept playing. Why did I put the sport and my team ahead of my own health?…
Protection among our athletes is what is most important to both players, parents and coaches. Most individuals play sports to have fun, be competitive and win; one rarely ever hears an athlete say, “I’m going to play today to get hurt.” In order to protect ourselves and others, proper education on the sport at hand is necessary. In women’s lacrosse, younger athletes are not allowed to check. When girls reach the high school level the league permits legal checking. The issue at hand, is that the players are not educated prior to entering high school therefor the form and technique is never instilled properly. When an athlete does not know how to properly and safely do something, it can lead to harmful play in general. If coaches teach girls…
Caitlyn wakes up, gets ready, and walks outside to her car. As soon as she walks out of the front door, she gets an instant headache, just from the faint sunlight peeking through the clouds. Daily activities become a struggle, all because of one thing- a concussion. A concussion is a neurological injury which is typically caused by a hit or shake to the head. Concussions affect many people daily, and even though some people think it is something to brush off of one's shoulder, it is not. I have had multiple concussions in the past, which have affected me by altering my focus and study habits, which typically harmed my grades in the past. This pushed me to work harder and to continue doing so.…
The sun was peaking through my shutters as I was just waking up. As I stood up from my bed I felt as if I had been spinning for the past few hours. I was nauseous while attempting to balance myself while walking out of my room. For the next four months that is how my morning routine followed. Some may assume these are symptoms of a teenager who partied a little too hard the night before, however instead it is symptoms of a teenager with a severe concussion.…