The Dangers Of Concussions

While concussions are usually caused by a blow to the head, they can also occur when the head has been violently shaken for example in a car accident. Often concussions are seen in contact sports such as football, soccer and ice hockey, however that is not the only setting in which concussions are likely. Out of an estimated 3.8 million concussions a year 90.2% are not in fact sports related as seen in a graph posted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Certain factors can increase your risk of getting a concussion according to the Mayo Clinic, these factors include participating in high risk sports, particularly contact sports, certain occupations such as being a soldier in combat, getting in an accident, falling and having
a concussion in the past. It is another a common misconception among public that in order to have a concussion consciousness must be lost but that is far from the truth, due to this fallacy concussions are underreported and underrecognized. Since a concussion affects brain function rather than the brain's physical structure it can not be seen through brain imaging. Concussions make headlines a lot especially in the NFL, yet people still don’t see the genuine concern and that can largely be attributed to the many common misconceptions.