Concussions in Football

Concussions in Football

Football has always been a game for some of the toughest men in the world. Injuries to the head received in football have been seen more as part of the game than a serious problem for as long as the sport has existed. Concussions are an ever-increasing problem in many, sports with football being at the front of the debate into brain injuries. Many parents of young football players have become worried about their child's safety whenever players strap up their helmets to play. As we learn more about the effects of concussions and other injuries to the brain it is most important to encourage safety and protect football players around the world from long-term symptoms of concussions.

The symptoms and effects on a person's health caused by concussions are the first major reason for reform in the game of football. A concussion is an injury suffered to the head in which the brain shakes inside the skull. When a person suffers a concussion they can experience serious symptoms of dizziness and possible loss of conscious (WebMD). Concussions are impact injuries suffered normally in physical sports like football. They are harmful enough to keep some players out for months at a time. While most symptoms of concussions are obvious and easily

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diagnosable, some symptoms of this injury can go undetected and can be more dangerous than the visible symptoms (WebMD). Multiple concussions can lead to more severe symptoms with future injuries suffered to the brain. These symptoms are known as post-concussive syndrome. Patients diagnosed with post-concussive syndrome can have symptoms worse than the original concussion and risk more severe injuries in the future (WebMD). Repeated concussions can lead to the development of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. CTE is a brain disease that can possibly lead to death and is growing among retired football players. Boston University studies show that thirteen of the sixteen former NFL player's brains examined were diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy(King). Concussions are injuries that should never be ignored due to the risk of damage to the structure of your brain.

High school football has recently seen a steady rise in the amount of concussions suffered by players. Concussions in high school football are a major concern among parents of players. The rate of concussions among high school athletes has grown from 5.6 % to 8.9% in the last decade. Team doctor for St. Ambrose University estimates she treats one to two concussions per game (Peterson). Recent reports show that players can receive more than eighteen hundred hits to the head in practice and games throughout the season (Huppke). The major problem in high school football is that many concussions go unnoticed or are treated incorrectly. Estimates show that 50% of concussions in high school football go undetected. In 2009, 41% of athletes re-entered the game after they had suffered concussive symptoms (Peterson). Many school and leagues do not have their

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own set of rules for handling concussions in football games. Only ten states have laws

pertaining to the treatment of concussions by sports teams. This allows many players to continue participating in the event after they suffered a serious injury to their brain. This

is a major risk to the health of these players and many times can result in the symptoms becoming much more severe. High School football needs to regulate the treatment and place mandatory actions for schools to follow when a player suffers concussive symptoms.

A major problem in the sport of football is that the world's largest and most influential league has also seen a rise in concussions that have caused people to think about what can be done to settle this issue. In week one of the national football league's schedule, Eagles linebacker Stewart Bradley suffered a concussion and briefly lost consciousness. He went to the sideline and then returned to the field just minutes later (King). The NFL has since cracked down on the treatment of concussions by teams so that mistakes like this cannot be made anymore. The problem still remains that professional football just might not be a safe game at all. Midway through October the league has recorded fifty-three concussions among