Reaction Paper About Concussions

We really do not know very much about concussions. Concussions aren’t easy to diagnose, hard to treat appropriately, and seemingly impossible to prevent in contact sports. While they can be apparent and have effects that immediately appear, they can also occur with no apparent consequences. The second case is very scary, as athletes who return to games after sustaining a concussion can make symptoms much worse or even cause permanent damage. Concussions are extremely harmful to brain health and long-term effects can hold adverse effects on people. While there is an agreed form of treatment for acute symptoms, long-term effects are untreatable. With contact sports being such a huge part of so many lives, modern scientists are working hard to create new tactics to prevent concussions, detect concussions earlier and find new treatment methods in order to help reduce permanent damage and pain. Concussions are a widespread issue and even though most of these brain injuries are mild, they have the possibility to escalate to post-concussion syndrome (PCS). …show more content…
Every year, there are about 10 million cases 1.7–3.8 million of which occur in the US, and 3.8 million athletes sustain sports-related concussions every year. Patients with concussions develop adverse symptoms but 80–90% recover in 7-10 days. However, in 10–20% of patients, concussion symptoms will last weeks or even months, as they have experienced structural brain damage. Permanent brain damage and PCS is experienced by up to 25–33% of these patients and effects can last up to six months (Hadanny & Efrati, 2016). Once symptoms pass six months, prediction for recovery is unknown and effects can last for years or even a lifetime. People who have multiple concussions or a concussion with lasting effects can get chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a neurodegenerative condition that includes behavioral and cognitive impairment, mood swings and sometimes even sensorimotor