What is a concussion?
Concussions, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is a jarring injury of the brain resulting in disturbance of cerebral function. According to Clifford Robbin, athletes in the United States suffer between 2.5-4 million concussions per year and between 50%-80% go untreated. Scientist today question how these concussions effect the brain after the injury has occurred and what happens to the brain itself to cause this injury.
How do you get a concussion and what are the symptoms?
A concussion is caused by jarring of the brain against the skull from either a single hit to the head or several smaller hits consistently. This jarring causes the neurons in the brain to stretch and tear the axons within itself, causing the neurons to not be able to transmit signals back and forth. Once these axons begin to deteriorate, they release toxins which in turn kills of other nearby neurons as well. Symptoms of a concussion include unconsciousness, headaches, blurry vision, balance issues, behavioral issues, memory problems, and sleep prevention. Concussions can be hard to diagnosed because the symptoms arrive slowly after the concussion has already arrived.
How do concussions effect the brain overtime?
It often takes between a few days to a couple of weeks for a concussion to fully heal. A person should rest and take caution to any activity to allow the brain to regenerate and heal completely. However, a concussion can lead to a number of later medical issues. One of which is PCS or Post-Concussion Syndrome. This can lead to constant headaches, memory problems, and behavioral issues that could effect the person for months or even years after the injury. An overload of sub-concussive hits can lead to CTE, or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. CTE is a brain deteriorating disease that can effect a persons mood and behavior that begin in the person's 30s or 40s followed by memory problems and issues thinking which in some cases lead to dementia.
I thought that this information on concussions was very interesting. I was very surprised about the statistic that between 50-80% of concussions go untreated, which is very scary to think about. I also liked how you organized and separated different sections of your blog with the main points that you explained. I really enjoyed reading this bog! Great Job!
ReplyDeleteTyler, you did such a wonderful job on this blog post for this assignment. I was so very fascinated while I was reading over all of this information you gave us about concussions. I really enjoy watching sports, so being able to read more about concussions and being able to better understand what the damage done to the brain is, is very helpful. Now I understand why the NFL takes the concussion protocol so seriously. Very nice job!
ReplyDeleteTyler, no doubt the brain is one of the main organs in the human being. Was it worth exposing it that way through strong impacts that some athletes receive? The concussions that result from this bring long-term symptoms. I appreciate the publication of your blog that guides us in a clear way in how to identify those symptoms and how to reflect about the damages that can affect the brain.
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