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The Dangerous World of Concussions Henry Sisson

What is A Concussion?

The definition of a concussion is a traumatic brain injury that alters the way your brain functions. Effects are usually temporary, but can include headaches and problems with concentration, memory, balance and coordination. A brain injury can be caused by a blow to the head or a violent shaking of the head and body. The brain is made of soft tissue. It is cushioned by spinal fluid and encased in the protective shell of the skull. When you sustain a concussion, the impact can jolt your brain. Sometimes, it literally causes it to move around in your head. Traumatic brain injuries can cause bruising, damage to the blood vessels, and injury to the nerves. There are over 3 million cases of concussions a year. Most medical providers and professionals describe a concussion as not very serious and a mild head injury. However, even though the temporary effects of a concussion are not serious or life threatening, the long term effects can be. Youth and young adults are more at risk for a concussion because they are more active and are not fully developed. You do not always have to lose consciousness or pass out to have a concussion.

Symptoms:            

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 or "seeing stars" Ringing in the ears Nausea Vomiting Slurred speech Delayed response to questions Appearing dazed Fatigue

How Do You Get a Concussion?

Your brain is an organ that is surrounded by spinal fluid and protected by your hard skull.

Normally, the fluid around your brain acts like a cushion that keeps your brain from banging into your skull. But if your head or your body is hit hard, your brain can crash into your skull and be injured. There are many ways that you can get a concussion. You can get them in just everyday accidents such as car crashes, falling, and fights. You can also get them in sports such as soccer, football, boxing, hockey, lacrosse, skiing, and snowboarding. Although they are often caused by a blow to the head they can also be caused by being violently shaken. Concussions are becoming more likely because many athletes are becoming . bigger and stronger. Many coaches instructed their players to hit hard and keep playing. There are many coaches who also make their players continue to play even after they get hurt or have a blow to the head. According to the center like symptoms and forty percent have said their coaches were unaware that they had a possible concussion. like symptoms and forty percent have said their coaches were unaware that they had a possible concussion. for disease control sixty nine percent of athletes have played with concussion

How to prevent concussions:

Just like there are many ways to get a concussion, there are many ways to prevent one. First, one must always wear protective gear in sports. Such as a helmet when bicycling or skating, this helps protect your head in case you fall. Always buckle up, imagine your head smashing against the dashboard during a car crash a seat belt can help prevent this.

Another way to protect your head from having a concussion is to make sure your house is picked up.

You can trip over almost anything, if you fall your head most often hits the ground. Some ways to prevent concussions in younger children is to put gates on stairs and install window guards. In adults exercising regularly can increase balance and muscle strength decreasing the risk of falling. Even educating others about concussions can help prevent them. When coaches know the risks they are less likely to take them, they will also encourage good sportsmanship and take someone out of the game if they have recently had a blow to the head. Many people do not take the word concussion seriously, by educating people you can help us all prevent concussions and further injury down the road.

How are the long term effects of Concussions ?

Although many athletes who have had concussions recover fully some continue to have pains and injuries till the day they die. There are many ways that concussions can affect us, long after the injury has healed many people experience headaches, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and the sense that you aren’t yourself. Just these small problems can make everyday life hard. Ways that long term consequence become more common is when athletes return to play after a concussion or head injury. People who have had concussions need to make sure that they a fully healed before returning to play and potential injure themselves again. If one does not sit out and rest after having a head injury they could make the possibilities much more likely to have long term effects after the concussion or head injury. Traumatic Brain Injury or TBI is the cause for thirty percent of all injury related deaths according to the Center for Disease Control. TBI contributed to the deaths of more than 50,000 people in 2010.

Concussions now versus 100 years ago: Concussions may seem like they are becoming better and becoming less deadly than one hundred years ago, but think again studies have shown concussions are becoming more deadly and more likely. In the past many people would get concussions but there were not as many reasons and ways to get them. A hundred years ago you may have thought nothing was wrong or that you just have a bad headache. Also with the many new advances in technology the news of concussions can spread more quickly.

This causes more worry and makes people more likely to think that they have a concussion. In sports such as football, even though the helmets and pads are much safer. the players are just getting bigger and stronger and wanting to hit harder. Although scientists are trying many have come to the conclusion that there is no way to make a concussion proof helmet. There are many people that say that the more protective helmets like the ones we have now make players less careful of their heads and how they use them. Their is talk of going back to the original leather helmets because they are not as protective and players become more careful and not use their heads in a physical way.

Bibliography: 

"Concussion: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention."WebMD. WebMD, 2005. Web. 04 Mar. 2016.

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"Concussion." Prevention. Mayo Clinic, 16 Apr. 2014. Web. 04 Mar. 2016.

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“What Is a Concussion?" Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 Feb. 2015. Web. 04 Mar. 2016.