Concussions - How Many Concussions Are Too Many Essay

Concussions - How Many Concussions Are Too Many - Essay Example Are athletes and coaches not properly informed to deal with concussions, as far as their symptoms, how to manage and identify them, and when is it safe to return to the game etc are concerned? This paper briefly analyses concussions and tries to find answers to all the questions mentioned above. â€Å"Concussion is a form of head injury that occurs immediately after a blunt force strikes the head causing the brain to move within the confines of the skull. The Latin word ‘‘concussus,’’ from which the word concussion is derived, means to shake violently† (Cobb & Battin, 2004, p.262). â€Å"Sixty-one per cent of British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) players surveyed had already experienced at least one concussion. The concussion is defined as a loss of consciousness for less than 30 minutes, post-traumatic amnesia lasting less than 24 hours† (Kent, 1999). â€Å"The study, conducted by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers and colleagues, found that retired National Football League players faced a 37 per cent higher risk of Alzheimer’s than other U. S. males of the same age. When considering the prevalence of previous concussions, 1,513, or 60.8 per cent, of the retired players reported having sustained at lea st one concussion during their professional playing career, and 597, or 24 per cent, reported sustaining three or more concussions. Among retired players who sustained a concussion during their professional careers, more than half reported experiencing loss of consciousness or memory loss from at least one of their concussions (ScienceDaily, Oct. 11, 2005). A concussion is a common injury suffered by the athletes and sports personalities. Players of games like Football, Hockey, Rugby, Cricket, Boxing etc are more volatile to concussion problems. It is not necessary that a person experiences the effect of a concussion immediately after he suffered it.  Ã‚