Concussions In Football

1397 Words3 Pages

Football is one of the most popular sports in the world. It is played in a lot of different ways, fashions, and other countries. It can be a very brutal sport with players hitting at the intent to hurt one another. With these intents come great consequences. In recent years the head injuries involved with this brutal game play have been getting uncomfortably high. Many rules have had to be enforced for player safety, because of the increase of head injuries resulting in tragic effects on players both old and new. One of the injuries that have had the most devastating effects is the concussion.

Concussions are an injury that falls under the Traumatic Brain Injury category. A concussion occurs when a force causes the brain to rock back and forth inside the skull, and hit the interior walls of the skull. When this happens it can result in bruising on two parts of the brain, the Coup and the Countercoup. This may result in Loss of consciousness, confusion, headaches, nausea or vomiting, blurred vision, and loss of short-term memory. I know from experience the nausea and blurred vision. I noticed that during what I thought was a concussion though after the initial hits my ears would ring and give me very painful headaches.

On average most football players experience a concussion 3.4 times a season according to a survey in Pennsylvania conducted by Dr. Wayne Langburt. His studies concluded forty-seven percent of the players that participated in the survey claimed they had experienced a concussion. Most of these are unreported by players to coaches, which is very dangerous and risky.

I myself have endured concussions both unreported. Football has been the main reason. This year, I hit another teammate during practice helmet to helm...

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...momsteam.com/health-safety/concussion-rates-high-school-sports>.

"Brain Concussion Causes, Types, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention Information on MedicineNet.com." Web. 30 Sept. 2011. .

"Brain Injury In Sports." Brain Injury Resource Center. Web. 20 Sept. 2011. .

"Football Helmet Technology." Traumatic Brain Injury Resource Guide. Web. 28 Sept. 2011. .

"Incidence of Concussion in High School Football Players of Ohio and Pennsylvania." Journal of Child Neurology. Web. 28 Sept. 2011. .

Nowinski, Christopher, and Jesse Ventura. Head Games: Football's Concussion Crisis from the NFL to Youth Leagues. East Bridgewater, MA: Drummond Pub. Group, 2007. Print.

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