Concussions In Sports Research Paper

Anthony Helton
Mrs.Harvey
English 102
January 31,2016

Sports Concussions

A concussion is a brain injury caused by a blow,or heavy jolt to the head or a blow from the body that causes the head to move rapidly back and forth. They can range from mild to severe and can disrupt the way the brain normally functions. When being actively involved in sports an athlete runs a high risk of a possible chance of obtaining a concussion. Due to the physical toll participating in sports brings on your body, a concussion can occur. There are a number of ways from contact with another person, falling on the playing surface or being struck with an object such as a bat, racket or ball associated

with the particular sport. Protecting athletes from this should be a major initiative on sports professionals such as coaches, trainers and administrators.
There has been plenty of discussion of this issue in the public arena, from press releases to reports on major sports broadcasts.

Many famous athletes have had life altering occurrences as a result of incurring a concussion from the sport they play. While this is mostly associated with football, there are many other sports in which concussions can and do occur. Awareness of the activities which may cause a concussion as well as ensuring that symptoms of the concussion are identified are critical to ensuring the safety of sports participants. Currently, 47% of all athletes fail to report that they are having symptoms of a concussion. In 2012, 3,800,000 concussions were reported which was double the amount reported just ten years earlier. Due to increased public awareness, this number has increased over time but is still a very low rate for such a serious, life threatening injury. Although, it is simply the nature of sports that concussions will occur, prevention is definitely something which can be enhanced through improved coaching of sports techniques and having athletes educated to the dangers associated with a concussion. Interestingly enough, not all concussions are caused at the actual competitive sporting event with one third occurring at a sports

practice.
It has been recently reported that 39% of cumulative concussions are shown to cause a permanent neurologic disability. There are many symptoms which can occur with a concussion. The majority of concussions are not life-threatening but can cause the victim to be in an altered state of mind and in some cases can result in a state of unconsciousness. Due to the fact that there are different levels of concussions, symptoms can vary. Typically the main symptom is confusion with others being memory problems, dizziness, headaches and light sensitivity.
When the symptoms of a concussion occur it is of critical nature that it is reported so that it can be properly treated and to prevent the athlete from further competing while suffering from a concussion. Either the coach or parent of the participant should ensure that after a visible incident which may result in a concussion that the player is closely examined for these symptoms. In many organized sports, especially at the high school level, coaches are now required to participate in concussion training in an effort to help identify the injury. If you suspect you may have a concussion, it is very important to report it to a coach, parent or official. If it is identified that this may have occurred based on your symptoms, a Doctor will evaluate you either on site of the incident or at a medical facility. A typical examination will be to ask questions to determine if you are coherent and are able to provide logical answers. The most common question is to ask if you have lost consciousness or memory loss. Also a light can be shined into your eyes to see if there is any sensitivity to the light or to see if the pupils are normal or if you have a glaze or disoriented appearance.
In order to resume participation in the sport, the participant must have a full recovery. In today’s sports vernacular this is referred to as “concussion protocol”. During this timeframe, the athlete must rest with no reading, video games, loud noises or computer work. If a symptom happens to be light sensitivity, the victim will need to remain in a dark room or in one with a low level of lighting until this symptom is reduced. This alone however does not mean that the patient is fully recovered from the concussion. This will require all other symptoms to be eliminated and for a follow up visit, By following the prescribed activities from the Physician and with a little luck, it is possible to have a full recovery within seven days. The best chance for healing within this timeframe is having complete rest.
When acquiring a concussion, you are usually being hit at a strong speed, for example professional football players tackle at a speed between 15-25 miles per hour. Football players must play with speed in order to be successful on the field. The opponent is often the one who receives a concussion rather than the one who initiated the hit due to the extreme force and momentum given by the player that was already in motion. Another sport that a lot of concussions occur in is soccer because it is a physical sport, there is no head protection for the players and almost every soccer player will make a play on the ball with their head. The impact of a soccer ball being headed is approximately 70 miles per hour, when a player gets hit with the ball going at that velocity in the head, it is very likely to cause a concussion. If a player gets hit with a ball going faster than 70 mph it may lead to a more severe concussion which means immediate stabilization and medical care as soon as possible.
One fifth of high school athletes will will get a concussion while being involved in extracurricular activities.

However, the most common sport which concussions take place is football. 47% of concussions occur during high school football season due to the high speeds and the physical punishment which takes place to the body on every play. Even though players are required to wear a helmet and mouth pieces, many players get hit in the head and the force of the hit is enough to shock the brain and develop a concussion. Of course football is not the only sport that concussions take place. Volleyballs can be served at high speeds which can hit a player in the face or head and end up in a concussion. Just like soccer, volleyball players do not wear helmets which increase the ability to receive a concussion during a volleyball game. Baseball is another sport that does not contain a lot of physical contact every play but it is still possible to get a concussion because of the high speeds which baseballs are thrown on almost every play. Baseballs are thrown at speeds high enough to hurt another player causing a concussion if they hit the head, even though a helmet is worn. Think of professional pitcher who can throw a baseball in the ranges of 90-100 mph. If that hits another person in the head or face that could cause a severe concussion or possible death depending on where the player got hit and whether or not they were wearing a hard shelled batting helmet at the

time.
Sports are a great part of life and can provide enjoyment for many people. At the same time, they can also can be dangerous if the proper precautions are not being taken. It is important that players always wear all of the required protective gear given to you for the particular sport that you play .If you get hit in the head while playing sports you should not return to the game until report your injury and are examined. If it is a determined that you have suffered a concussion, you will need to get the proper medical treatment as soon as possible so you do not injury yourself anymore than you already have. It is extremely dangerous and can be fatal to receive an impact to the head after receiving a concussion. These precautions are in place in order for you to start recovering to get back into the sport you play. Always be cautious of head injuries and do not take them lightly because they can be very dangerous if not taken care of properly. Play sports but make sure to use caution, follow the specific instructions, follow the proper techniques in everything you do so that you can avoid head injuries while participating in that sport.