Concussions, though have been prevalent in sports since the beginning, are becoming more prevalent. The increase in the number of sports related head injuries is not solely because of the way contact sports are being played, but also a combination of equipment developments and a higher awareness of how significant these injuries really are. More concussions are being diagnosed now than ever before.
Professional sports are becoming more acute in diagnosing these injuries, athletes, owners, and fans are taking head injuries far more seriously than they have in the past. Injuries to the head have begun claiming lives of professional athletes like hockey enforcer Derek Boogaard, a Canadian National Hockey League player who died at age 28 due to the after effects of head injuries.
And just this past Wednesday, former National Football League linebacker Junior Seau committed suicide as a result of the thousand-plus concussions he suffered, namely dementia. He was following the example of Dave Duerson, a former NFL safety, who committed suicide in February 2011. Both players wanted their brains to be studied for the long-term consequences of concussions.
The severity of these suicides, as well as the infinite number of concussions in the NFL, whether reported or not, have led to the implementation of major rule changes to be set upon the NFL. So far, these have included increased fines and suspensions for those guilty of hitting opposing players in the head. Football linemen are the most at risk, because every play they collide with the opposing defensive linemen, and this is an equivalent to a small car accident.
Repeated head trauma is linked to causing permanent brain damage and diseases, like dementia and Alzheimer’s. In fact, there is a current lawsuit being held against the NFL by players who were unaware of how serious head injuries were.
After Duerson’s death, this matter was brought to the white house, where President Barack Obama noted the dangerous combination of the increased size of the players and the nonchalant attitudes of many players. As reported by the Huffington Post, he did not forsee football continuing in such a dangerous way for too much longer.
The concern over head injuries is felt throughout sports. Increase activity has been found in diving and other sports, such as women’s soccer, thanks to its out-of-control dives lead with the head, and elbowing. While concussions tend to remain in the realm of contact sports, the epidemic of head injuries still rises.
The issues of resolving concussions have also varied. According to a study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh, many health officials and trainers disagree with the amount of time to pass before a player is healed from a concussion. In the past players have played while sustaining severe head injuries, now there are more comprehensive tests to determine this potential life threatening injuries. The study suggests that a large comprehensive test that sweeps all athletes in all sports is essential to curing concussions.
The symptoms of concussions, according to WebMD, are as follows:
· Confusion, or feeling dazed.
· Clumsiness
· Slurred speech
· Nausea or vomiting
· Sensitivity to light, or noise
· Memory loss
On the field treatments for concussions have changed dramatically over the years. Football players, if suspicious of being concussed, are now subjected to dark room tests, in which players sit in a dark room for an extended period of time to avoid sensitivity to light and noise.
Cocoon therapy has also been rumored to heal concussions quickly, especially with children. The theory behind cocoon therapy is that all forms of mental stress, whether its schoolwork, sports, video games, or reading, must be avoided in order for the brain to properly heal.
Without the re-evalutation of how contact sports are played, the dangers of concussions and other head traumas remain. Boogaard, Seau and Duerson are just few of the many professional athletes to suffer from head injuries, and are just a few examples of those who have died. They were full grown adults, and these same games are being played at all ages, which is even more dangerous.
