Essay On Concussions

Concussion, the diagnosis every player dreads but hears too often, so what is actually being done to prevent this from sidelining millions of players every year and protect players from getting life-threatening concussions? Concussions are a serious health risk sustained by all athletes, more specifically football players. Football is a sport that demands more from its athletes mind and bodies than most sports do. The endless head collisions that occur on the line of tackle, as well as, one perfectly positioned hard hit to the head or body could potentially ruin a player’s career, as well as, his personal life. The constant fear over short and long-term health effects regarding concussions in sports have already resulted in rule changes, lawsuits,
Technology will continue to promote safety and welfare. Whether it is a helmet, software, or mouth guard technology is constantly being improved to limit the amount of players who suffer from concussions and more technology will continue to be developed as this problem is constantly a challenge in the sports world. Athletes competing at all levels including competitive, recreational, high school, college athletes, and professional are all at a risk of obtaining a concussion. A concussion is defined as “a complex pathophysiological process that affects the brain, typically induced by trauma to the brain. It can be caused either by a direct blow to the head, or an indirect blow to the body, causing neurological impairments that may resolve spontaneously” (Sports Concussion Institute, 2012). Concussion comes from the Latin word concutere meaning “to shake violently” (WebMD, 2017). Symptoms have the potential of lasting for days, weeks, months, or even longer. Those signs and symptoms include, “headache or a feeling of pressure in the head, temporary loss of consciousness, confusion or feeling as if in a fog, amnesia surrounding the traumatic event, dizziness