As technology continues to advance and scientists begin to understand more about the long term effects of sports injuries, one increasingly frightening topic for athletes at all levels--high school, collegiate, and professional--is the concussion. Nearly every contact sport yields the possibility of trauma to the head. What does a rough body check from an opposing hockey team, a stray 95 mph pitch to the side of the head, a soccer header, and a dangerous tackle in football all have in common? Yes, you guessed it: the possibility for a concussion. But before we explore the possible effects of repeated concussions over a sports career, let’s first define a concussion. ConcussionTreatment.com defines a concussion as “a complex pathophysiological …show more content…
However, these injuries heal eventually with time and rest. They may set an athlete on the side lines for a period of their season (or in worst case scenarios a large chunk of their career), but these injuries more often than not result in a recovery and a glorious return to the playing field. While a concussion is very similar to these physical injuries in the sense that it requires time and rest to recover and will set an athlete out for a portion of his or her season (assuming an appropriate amount of time is given for the brain to heal), it differs from most physical injuries from the stand point that it has possible long term cognitive effects if repeated concussions are obtained. Obviously, dying or paralysis is the worst case scenario for a person who has received brain trauma. However, athletes that have sustained three or more concussions over a life-time have been proven to likely have long-term cognitive impairment, emotional struggles, and a general decrease in the overall quality of life. (A side note from the author: as a person that has already received two concussions while playing hockey, this is extremely frightening entering another season). Furthermore, concussions may accelerate the onset of dementia later in life and result in problems with memory