Informative Essay On Concussions

Jackson Jerdonek

HLA 1

Pelphrey

2.12.16

Concussions

Have you ever wanted to know why concussions are so serious, well I have the answer. Concussions are a common form of traumatic brain injury resulting from blunt force trauma to the head. Concussions are also associated with a short period of time without the regular functions of your brain (Flynn1) . When someone has a concussion that person must be examined by a doctor or physician, at first only using short neuropsychological tests like the Maddocks quiz or the SAC (standard assessment of concussion, Flynn 2). Most professional sports leagues like the NFL, NBA, and NHL are introducing policies that restrict the amount of playing time an athlete gets after a recent concussion. All sports leagues should have the best safety equipment that they can buy so there is a lesser chance of a player getting a concussion, and if a player does get a concussion they should take a few weeks off just to make sure that they are as healthy emotional and physically as before the concussion.

CTE is a progressive degenerative disease that has been linked to having multiple concussions. Symptoms of CTE include memory loss, aggression, depression, impaired judgment, impulse control problems, confusion, and progressive dementia. Some of those symptoms can be

very serious like depression which can go as far as suicide (flynn 2). A large number of suicides by pro and college players have been traced back CTE. This just comes to show how dangerous multiple concussions can be on your mental health as well as your physical health.
Players of hard-hitting sports like football and hockey should have the best safety equipment that money can buy.

Medical evidence suggests that multiple concussions may result in lasting brain damage scenarios such as degenerative dementia pugilistica, post-concussion syndrome, or second-impact syndrome. With the best safety tech most of these diseases can be prevented (flynn 1). Concussions are very common in football and we can reduce that risk as players by tackling the correct way and using the correct form. If you are tackling the incorrect way and you are tackling with your head down it can cause you and the person you are tackling to have serious concussions ( Flynn

2).
Some people would say that concussions aren’t that serious and can be played through but they are wrong. If you try to play through a concussion you have a higher risk to get another one while playing and having multiple concussions can lead to second-impact syndrome. Second-impact syndrome causes the brain to swell even more than it already has, and that can put you at a very great risk to get CTE (Walter 3). Even though the best equipment may be expensive it is worth it and will help out a lot in the long run. The good helmets can last a while and put you at a smaller risk of getting a concussion (FLynn 2).
All sports leagues should have the best equipment out there so the chance of getting a concussion is very slim, and if a player does get a concussion the leagues should implement a policy that requires the player to take a few weeks to make sure all the symptoms are gone.CTE is a very dangerous mental disease and if a player gets one concussion they can’t just walk it off because they could eventually end up with CTE and CTE can be linked to suicide. Players of hard-hitting sports like football and hockey should own the best safety equipment they can find, because you never know when a big hit is coming ( WAlter 3). You should not try to play through a concussion because some of the effects of winning the big are not worth the risk of not playing your favorite sport for the rest of your life. If you do get a concussion don’t try and play through it, you should tell someone and get medical help.