Importance Of Concussions

The Importance of Education About Head Trauma
Annually, the number of concussions affecting Americans is increasing and it is a rising statistic among young athletes. Concussions are a common type of head trauma that directly affects the brain. According to Mayo Clinic, concussions are the most common, yet least serious type of traumatic brain injuries. The brain is made up of soft tissue that is within a layer of spinal fluid and encased within the skull, which protects the most important part of the human body. As a result of the impact of a violent bump, jolt, or blow to head, the brain will not function properly, including symptoms of falling unconscious, blurred vision, or pain within the head because of nerve damage. The most common symptom
For instance, a child can be hurt through falling off a bicycle without a helmet and landing on their head. Due to the fact that their brains are developing, adolescents are at a much higher risk of damage to their skull. Concussions are initially described as “a violent blow, bump, or jolt to the head.” According to WebMD, there are 3 different types of concussions that can occur. The first is considered to be mild, where symptoms seem to last for 15 minutes. A grade 2 concussion is where amnesia occurs for 30 minutes up to 24 hours, and consciousness is lost for less than 5 minutes. Lastly, a grade 3 concussion is a much more severe form of head trauma, with symptoms including loss of consciousness for more than 5 minutes and experiencing amnesia for more than 24 hours, along with various other symptoms for a prolonged amount of time, depending on the cause of the incident. The main causes of concussion include sports activities, vehicular accidents, and falls. Incidentally, accidents are common among everyday people, but many young adults do not know the symptoms of concussions and the harm it may bring to others. Under the different circumstances, symptoms of concussions can vary from temporary migraines, nausea, and even loss of consciousness, to permanent damage such as difficulties with speech, memory issues, and comas. Consequently, recurrent causes of concussions can
Young athletes ages 15-24 are more likely to get concussion if they ride a motorcycle or play sports. The sports with the most concussions are football, girls soccer, girls basketball, hockey, and all other contact sports, especially sports played in high school. Two in ten high school athletes who play competitive sports will suffer a concussion, and five out of ten concussions go unreported or undetected. Between 1.7 and 3 million sports and recreation related concussions happen each year, around 300,000 are football related. Approximately 68,000 diagnosed concussions occur in high school football every year. Aside from high school football, the NFL are not the only people that have experienced the effects of concussions. In the football season of 2017 there were 281 reported concussions, including preseason games and practice, an increase of 15.6% over the five year average which has been the highest in the past 6 years. The league said that 50% of concussions in 2017 were self reported by players. There are about four concussions per ten NFL games of America football: 67.7% involve impact by another player’s helmet, 20.9% involve impact by other body regions, and 11.4% involve impact on the ground. The number of concussions keeps going up and the NFL is trying to decrease this number. Another sport where players suffer from a