Informative Essay On Concussions

You are a wide receiver surrounded by the screams and yells of various fans on an enclosed 100 yard field. Currently, your team has possession of the ball. ¨It's your time,¨ Coach says. With anticipation you strap on your helmet and take your position on the field. Because you are nervous you start to worry about various things, but you quickly refocus. The quarterback yells,¨Hike!¨ You catch the ball after it comes spiraling towards you. Instead of running to the end zone you begin prancing because you believe you are wide open. However, you have poor field awareness. As you look up, you see 200 and 25 pounds of green and white coming at you full speed. Sweat rolls down your face while your legs grow weak and tired. You start shaking and suddenly everything goes black. Concussions are a common injury when it comes to contact sports. A concussion is
a traumatic brain injury caused mainly by a direct blow to the head. Two articles by the name of ¨Effects of Concussions in Youth Sports Can Last for Decades¨ and ¨Heading for Trouble¨ explains the effects of concussions and the importance of early detection.

Initially, the symptoms of concussions are endless.
Some effects are blackouts, amnesia, confusion, vomiting, sensitivity to light, etc. A blow to the head is the cause of traumatic brain injury, creating potential brain damage. Some symptoms may be brief while some can last up to years. According to ¨Heading for Trouble,¨ Melissa, a female football player, has always encountered concussions on the field due to collisions with other players. Melissa may not had recognized any symptoms of a concussion, but because she kept experiencing them she was allowing permanent brain damage. Very soon, Melissa did not know where she was at, she walked to the wrong bench, and she kept walking around in circles (¨Heading for Trouble¨). In ¨Effects of Concussions in Youth Sports Can Last for Decades," Canadian research showed that the effects of head trauma can last for many years. Also, this research indicated that older athlete´s (above 30 years of age) brains experienced a thinning that is associated with memory and attention decline. If symptoms are not detected early, this could lead to permanent brain damage and memory
loss.

Evidently, the key to a successful recovery is detecting symptoms early and getting treatment right away. Recognizing a concussion early is important to prevent long term effects. According to ¨Effects of Concussions in Youth Sports Can Last for Decades," damage isn’t always apparent immediately after the injury, [but] the side-effects can persist for decades. Anyone associated with an athlete who suffers a concussion should understand that the symptoms interfere with their sport, education, social relationships, etc. Since concussions can have a long-term effect on someone the parents, coaches, including the athlete should know how to recognize the possible symptoms. You can slowly begin to engage in physical activities, if symptoms seem to have vanished. You should only slowly engage in physical activities because even if your symptoms seems to be gone your brain may have not healed fully. There is no such thing as a helmet that is concussion free, so athletes should learn safe techniques when it comes to playing sports. Concussions can be scary, but with the correct care they can heal quickly.

In conclusion, almost all athletes in a physical contact sport experience concussions. Football, swimming, boxing, and hockey are just a few sports concussions occur in. However, sports are not the only thing that cause concussions. The dangers of concussions has been discussed all around the world which is why early detection is highly essential. Athletes who have symptoms of a concussion should seek a doctor immediately. Until the athlete is cleared by a doctor the athlete should not participate in anything physical, no matter what others believe.