Concussions

by Emily Goltz

Hello! Today I am going to be talking about concussions. I want to discuss the importance of treating concussions, possible signs and symptoms, and the lasting impact of concussions. I also what to talk about how the increase in concussions has brought awareness to extra precautions in sports.

Concussions are not a little thing. Its a traumatic brain injury. It is caused by a bump, hit or jolt to the head that causes the brain to bounced or twist in the head and cause chemical changes to the brain and damages brain cells. Even though some concussions can be mild, the affects can be serious. When you get hit in the head, there are certain signs that you need to look out for. These include dizziness, drowsiness, a strong headache, slurred speech, nausea or vomiting, confusion, one pupil larger than the other and of course if the person goes unconscious. If any of these signs appear, you should seek medical attention even if you think there's only a slight chance of a concussion. Some long term affects include problems with thinking, memory, learning, coordination and balance, speech, vision and emotions. Some other affects include problems with relationships.

When recovering from a concussion, rest is the main component. Staying away from bright lights and physical activity is also a key component. If the concussion is severe enough, staying home from school is important and resting. Signs and symptoms tend to disappear within a couple of weeks.

Returning from a concussion in sports is a major concern these days. Any type of physical activity is not allowed when you have a concussion. Usually the athletic trainer or the coach will be on top of your injury depending on the setting. After your symptoms are gone, the first step is light aerobic activity to get your heart rate up and make sure those symptoms don't come back. Next is a moderate aerobic activity followed by non- contact practice. The following steps include full contact practice and then return to competition. These steps are crucial to follow so that you recover properly and don't return to play too quickly. With concussions, the longer it takes you to return is usually better.

Athletics have taken an increase in awareness with concussions. All equipment has to be fitted properly to each player. Helmets must be approved and checked each year. This is critical in sports like lacrosse, hockey and football where the contact is huge. Other sports like baseball also have to have the correctly fitted helmets. Soccer is a sport that has started to raise awareness. In soccer, there is a very good chance that you will get hit in the head by other person, the ball or anything else. There is an option to were a protective helmet like this one.

Even though, these are not required, they do a lot. They aren't very thick but they do take some of the shock out of the hit. When I played soccer, I was required to wear one because of my concussions and this helmet did wonders when I was to get hit. It also gave me confidence after I had been out for a while or for when I was unsure if I wanted to go for the header or not. 

Overall, concussions may not seem like a huge deal to some people but to others they can be very serious and long term. Raising awareness for concussion has increased over the years and will continue to increase while youth sports are so big. I am a big supporter in raising awareness because my concussions are the reason why I am not playing soccer competitively anymore.

References:

https://www.cdc.gov/headsup/basics/concussion_prevention.html