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Football concussion research paper
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Body #1 For those of you not familiar with concussions; concussions usually occur when you suffer a blow to the head. Events you can associate with concussions are typically head to head collusions in football, a header in soccer, or even strong whiplash. Typical symptoms of a concussion can vary in severity. Most people think that concussions usually occur when someone gets knocked out but that's not necessarily the case. One does not need to be knocked unconscious to sustain a concussion which is why it is important to know which symptoms to look out for. As I stated before concussion symptoms can vary so some of the symptoms to look out for include: difficulty concentrating, vomiting, headaches, nausea, and difficulty sleeping. Knowing …show more content…
the symptoms of a concussion is an important step in the right direction in being able to recognize if someone has been concussed and seek medical attention.
The brain is a delicate instrument and an important one at that, which is why multiple concussions present a great danger. Body #2 Multiple concussions can lead to several degenerative brain diseases. As the research stands right now, it is hard to determine which diseases are related to repetitive brain trauma due to the limited sample of former players and due to selection bias, meaning that those that are tested for certain brain disease already believe they have them. Nevertheless, repetitive brain trauma has been shown to have some correlation with the following diseases: chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, and of course most forms of memory loss. All brains do not react the same way to brain trauma so there really isn't a formula or number of concussions that researchers have pinpointed will give you any of the previously mentioned diseases. In fact, CTE as of now can only be diagnosed postmortem and degrees of severity have varied among …show more content…
players who have been diagnosed regardless of the amount of concussions sustained. However, it has been found in college and high school players in the past. Additionally, given a history of concussions symptoms change and the duration of a concussion last longer. You may see a professional football player come back to action within 2 weeks of his third concussion because "he's ready to play", but in reality, concussions don't always work like that. When you suffer your first concussion, all symptoms may disappear within a few days or a week, the second concussion may take two to three weeks, and the third may take a month and so on. Your brain does not recover as quickly when it has been exposed to repetitive damage. I know from my experience my fifth concussion took almost 9 months for all symptoms to disappear. This knowledge is useful because it allows coaches to understand that a player needs time for his brain to fully recover because if a player goes out to early and suffers another concussion the effects could be life-changing. Body #3 Today, I brought in a picture from a local young man.
His name is Zack Lystedt and if you haven't heard of him yet, you would be surprised how influential he has been to the state of Washington and the field of neurology. Zach was a 13-year-old boy back in 2006, full of life and promise. One day that changed, he was playing a game of football for his recreational team when he went for a tackle a few yards away from the end zone. When he came down from the tackle, he began to hold his head, you could tell something wasn't right. His coach took him out for a few plays, his coach deemed him well enough to play and he went back into the game to play the second half. After the game, his dad and him were walking off the field when he suddenly collapsed. Zack had suffered another concussion, two in one game. This is referred to as Second Impact Syndrome. Zack didn't regain consciousness for over a month. He didn't speak a word for another 9 months. It took him 3 years to be able to stand up and slightly walk. These are all task we take for granted, but Zack wishes he could go back to that day in 2006 to be able to do them. After his accident, Zack and his family pushed to pass a law that would keep any youth athlete suspected of having a concussion out of the game until a licensed medical professional clears that athlete. This law passed in Washington, and it didn't take long before it passed in all 50 states. This law is called the Zack Lystedt law. This story is an important one
and one that hits close to home because this could have been me. Body #4 I know some of you aren't entirely convinced of the dangers of concussions in youth sports because perhaps it doesn't apply to you. To some degree, that's true. However, as I've said before one can suffer a concussion outside of sports, whether it's a car crash, a fall, or almost any type of accident where you violently shake the head. Some of you may say, well Adrian we can't live our lives in fear and wrap ourselves in bubble wrap, but that's not what I'm asking you to do. My one and only point, is that you be aware of the risks associated with contact sports and that they can be far greater than a cramp, or a strain, or even a broken bone. Thank you.
A concussion is defined as temporary unconsciousness caused by a blow to the head or a violent shock from a heavy blow. The force transmitted to the head causes the brain to hit the skull, which causes the brain to swell. The symptoms of a concussion can appear immediately after contact or they may subtle and may not appear right away. The symptoms of a concussion can vary in length. There are many different symptoms to a concussion: "Common symptoms after a concussive traumatic brain injury are headache, loss of memory (amnesia) and confusion" (Mayo). Other symptoms that may be involved with a concussion include loss of consciousness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, slurred speech, and fatigue. There are also symptoms that may not occur immediately, but may be delayed hours or days after. These symptoms include difficulty concentrating, sensitivity to light, and sleep disturbances. An athlete should ...
Most players just want to get back in the game. The average concussion recovery time is about 1-2 weeks. When you get a concussion you can not do any physical activity. After you do not do any activities you can do slight activities, if you get oked by the doctor at your checkup. When you do go in the activity stage then you can keep up the activities as long as you do not get any headaches. At the next checkup the doctor will see if you can go into practice with contact. All these steps if you get headaches then the player will have to tell doctor about it. If you do not have any problems then you can go into games, what the player has waited for through the whole recovery.
Corwin, Tom. “Football clinic aims to help parents, players prevent concussions.” Augusta Chronicle, The (GA) 25 February 2014: Newspaper Source. Web. 4 April 2014
Concussions are an injury to the brain caused by bump, or blow to the head or body. They can occur even when you haven’t even been knocked unconscious. Concussions can not be seen, but you can notice when someone has received one. (Center for Disease Control). The symptoms are Headaches, nausea, vomiting, balance problems, blurry vision, and memory problems or confusion. Also difficulty paying attention, bothered by lights or loud noises and feeling sluggish are sure symptoms of a concussion. (CDC 2). Even though concussions can’t be fully prevented, scientists are doing their best to find ways to decrease the amount of concussions that happen per year.
A. Background In recent years, there has been an increase in research investigating the long-term effects of repeated head trauma on the brain, especially in athletes. Following his discovery of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), Dr. Bennet Omalu inspired a movement of research aimed at establishing better safety standards and protocols in football. It was not until 2002 that the initial connection between repetitive head trauma, such as concussions, and brain injury was suspected (Ott, 2015). As common as concussions were during the late 1970s and 1980s, they were often swept under the rug, as they were seen as insignificant injuries.
Concussions have become arguably the #1 most prevalent issue in football today. The number of concussions throughout football has been rising for the past 20-30 years and there seems no way of stopping them. However, the NFL and many private researchers are set on finding a way to conquer this issue. They want to stop these concussions from happening and prevent the diseases resulting from them that have ruined so many football families’ lives. In order to solve this problem, I think that these researchers need to combine all of their knowledge to solve an issue that so many want solved. As soon as we conquer this “illness” we can return to enjoying the game that we love.
The world of sports is filled with great memories, grand moments and at times complete mayhem. There are moments like hitting a Home Run in game 7 of the World Series or memories of scoring an overtime goal during the Stanley Cup finals. However, there are also incredibly low moments when mayhem occurs such as an action or incident that results in a concussion. An injury such as a concussion can ruin your sports career or potentially your ability to function normally in the future. Concussions are caused by blunt force trauma to the head, a fall or an injury that shakes the brain inside the skull. Recovering from a concussion can take weeks, months or even years to heal. For some, it can impair your mental or mobility functions for life.
According to The Mayo Clinic, “the most common symptoms of a concussion are headache or pressure in the head, confusion or feeling foggy, appearing dazed, fatigue and delayed response to questions.”
Specific Purpose: My specific purpose is to convince my audience what needs to be done to decrease the number of concussions in football.
In conclusion, head injuries are serious business and should always be treated as if it could be fatal. New information and products are being made to help curb the increasing amount of concussions. Even though the number of concussions have increased over the years, there have been steps that are being made to cut down on the number of injuries. Concussions can be potentially be fatal and can have many side effects, both now and later in life. Such side effects can include headaches, inattention, loss of short-term and long-term memory, loss of motor skills, and even disturbances in sleep. It cannot be stressed enough to not shrug off any type of injuries, especially a concussion.
Brady, Erik. “Changing the Game on Youth Concussions.” USA Today 26 May 2011, Virginia ed.: 1C. Print.
The film “Concussion” directed by Peter Landesman starring Will Smith is based on the true story of Dr. Bennet Omalu’s medical research into concussions, then discovering Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), and his struggles with the NFL’s (National Football League) uncooperativeness upon learning of CTE Dr. Bennet Ifeakandu Omalu was born in September of 1968 in Nnokwa, Nigeria. He was the sixth of seven children to a civil engineer and seamstress. Bennet was admitted to the Federal Government College in Enugu, Nigeria at 12-years-old and wanted to become a pilot. Although, at 16-years-old he started medical school at the University of Nigeria. He earned his degree in 1990.
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.
BAM that was a hard hit to the running back,I think he has a concussion!!!! A concussion is a crisis to the brain and could take weeks or up to months to be cured. In football when you get head to head contact you will most likely get a headache which can lead to a concussion and have to sit on the bench.
Some concussions can cause brain function leading to cognitive, physical and emotional symptoms, such as confusion, vomiting, headache, nausea, depression disturbed sleep, moodiness, and amnesia. In fact, healthcare professionals in the field of brain injury often say, “If you’ve seen one concussion, you’ve seen one concussion.” Traumatic brain injuries can have wide ranging physical and psychological effects. Most signs or symptoms of a concussion are evident soon after the traumatic event, while you may only become aware of others days or weeks later.