Over a 9 year span, the number of people younger than 22 who are treated in emergency rooms for concussions has increased by 100,000 (Injuries in youth, 2016). The steep rise in concussion diagnoses in the United States has prompted state legislation. Washington state's "Shake It Off Law," passed in 2009, was the first in the country to require medical clearance of youth athletes before they can return to the field for practice or a game after any indication of head trauma. The other 49 states have taken up similar laws, but cases are still on the rise. However, after sustaining so many concussions, the risks become more serious. Because the brain is very complex, every brain injury is different. Some symptoms may appear right away, while
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A frequently ignored aspect in sports has been the long-term burden head injuries take on an athlete’s life. There is no shortage of eminent athletes who were forced into retirement sooner than expected due to repeated concussions. Many of them encounter long-term mental difficulties and shorter life expectancies. Jed Hughes, the vice chairman of the executive search firm, Korn/Ferry International, begins to explain that head injuries are traumatic and should be taken seriously. Diagnosed with frontal temporal dementia, the unrivaled tight end for the Colts, John Mackey, who was also the first president of the NFL Players Association, lived out the remainder of his life in an assisted living facility. Suffering from short term memory loss, the former Chicago Bears quarterback, Jim McMahon, suspects that the head injuries he sustained during his football career has caused this problem (Hughes, 2014). These professional athletes are just a few examples of the tolls multiple concussions can take on a person. Concussions are surely no laughing matter. They do not only affect a young athlete’s sports career, but can also affect their academic career, music career, any extracurricular activities, their friends, their family, their faith, and their definitions of themselves. It shakes a person to the core. There are some …show more content…
Unfortunately, head impacts in contact sports are rather frequent and the physical health implications of these consequences may be significant. One concussion can be dismissed, and maybe with solid reason. But plenty of people don’t know what the potential dangers of one head injury are, or even how to get help after they get hurt. In the early 2000s, The American Academy of Neurology organization had made a statement indicating that just about 33 percent of former NFL players had memory problems after suffering permanent damage from concussions during their carreers, while 16 percent were unable to dress themselves and 11 percent were unable to feed themselves (Sports law, 2015). Athletes who have had concussions may experience a variety of physical problems. Depending on the part of the brain affected and the severity of the injury, the result on any one individual can vary greatly. Personality changes, memory and judgement deficits, lack of impulse control, and poor concentration are all common. Behavioral changes can be stressful for families and caregivers who must learn to adapt their communication techniques, established relationships, and expectations of what the impaired person can or cannot do. New sensitivities can also be very challenging and baffling for the injured person and their loved
A frequently ignored aspect in sports has been the long-term burden head injuries take on an athlete’s life. There is no shortage of eminent athletes who were forced into retirement sooner than expected due to repeated concussions. Many of them encounter long-term mental difficulties and shorter life expectancies. Jed Hughes, the vice chairman of the executive search firm, Korn/Ferry International, begins to explain that head injuries are traumatic and should be taken seriously. Diagnosed with frontal temporal dementia, the unrivaled tight end for the Colts, John Mackey, who was also the first president of the NFL Players Association, lived out the remainder of his life in an assisted living facility. Suffering from short term memory loss, the former Chicago Bears quarterback, Jim McMahon, suspects that the head injuries he sustained during his football career has caused this problem (Hughes, 2014). These professional athletes are just a few examples of the tolls multiple concussions can take on a person. Concussions are surely no laughing matter. They do not only affect a young athlete’s sports career, but can also affect their academic career, music career, any extracurricular activities, their friends, their family, their faith, and their definitions of themselves. It shakes a person to the core. There are some …show more content…
Unfortunately, head impacts in contact sports are rather frequent and the physical health implications of these consequences may be significant. One concussion can be dismissed, and maybe with solid reason. But plenty of people don’t know what the potential dangers of one head injury are, or even how to get help after they get hurt. In the early 2000s, The American Academy of Neurology organization had made a statement indicating that just about 33 percent of former NFL players had memory problems after suffering permanent damage from concussions during their carreers, while 16 percent were unable to dress themselves and 11 percent were unable to feed themselves (Sports law, 2015). Athletes who have had concussions may experience a variety of physical problems. Depending on the part of the brain affected and the severity of the injury, the result on any one individual can vary greatly. Personality changes, memory and judgement deficits, lack of impulse control, and poor concentration are all common. Behavioral changes can be stressful for families and caregivers who must learn to adapt their communication techniques, established relationships, and expectations of what the impaired person can or cannot do. New sensitivities can also be very challenging and baffling for the injured person and their loved