Football Concussions

Almost 58,000 concussions were reported from the NCAA, which represents 1,200 colleges/universities, in the 2001-02 season (“Head Injuries”). That is about 48 concussions per school, and 1 in every 23 athletes. Sports and recreational concussions have become a more serious issue over the past decade. Many parents, coaches, and players deem concussions not serious and resume playing in the game. The increase in concussions, mainly in sports, has a long-lasting effect on the human brain and needs to be taken more seriously. A shocking amount of concussions go unreported, and that is one of the main problems. In 2004 a study revealed that 53% of football concussions go unreported. A different study, conducted with Canadian hockey players, showed

“CTE is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain found in athletes (and others) with a history of repetitive brain trauma” (BU “What is CTE”) This has been especially found in athletes linked to football and boxing with a long history of concussions. However CTE cannot be diagnosed until death, so players will never know they had it. The other reason for the publicity of concussions is SIS. Second Impact Syndrome is if a player has been injured and they sustain a second, even mild, blow to the head. “(SIS) occurs when a person with a concussion, even a very mild one, suffers a second blow before fully recovering from the first. The brain swelling and increased intracranial pressure that can result is potentially fatal” (Davidson, Atkins, and Longe). 95% of repeat concussions occur within 10 days of the first, and 75% within 1 week (“Head Injuries”). Because the vessels in the brain take about 15 days to heal, the player is at higher risk for another concussion or the vessels bursting. A burst vessel can result in death. Without thorough evaluation, athletes are especially vulnerable to much more serious

If the player does not take the allotted amount of time off, symptoms become prolonged or worse. These symptoms include headache, sensitivity to light, memory difficulty, and difficulty concentrating (Davidson, Atkins, and Longe). These symptoms can be shortened if the player does not return in the game before being cleared to play, however parents and coaches push their kids or players to get back into the game even after a massive hit. This is bad for their brain and can affect their work in school, and can inflict neurological damage for the