One of the most popular sports in the United States is football. Kids will begin playing when they are in the fourth grade, even earlier in some cases. Athletes that play in the NFL have been involved in the sport for over 10 years.
Football is also the sport with the highest concussion rates. Since football players are playing this high contact sport for numerous years, it is no wonder why they receive so many head injuries. A lot of changes take place in the brain after a concussion.
We will return to the topic of football players after going over a brief description of the neurochemical changes occurring in the brain after a concussion.
The Neurochemistry
An article written by Christopher Giza and David Hovda in the journal of Neurosurgery explains some of the damage occurring to the brain when someone gets a concussion. The physical damage will lead to chemical imbalances in the brain.
When the brain hits the skull there is a significant amount of axonal damage done to the neurons. This makes the axons “leaky,” so there is more ionic flux. This will also disrupt axonal transport and render many neurons incapable of proper firing.
The cell will then use a lot of ATP to try and compensate for the extra stress on the cell. This excess use of ATP is called hyper metabolism. After the period of excess ATP use, the cells will enter into a phase of hypo metabolism.
During this phase the brain is still healing, and it is imperative that the concussed person continue to rest to aid the recovery process.
The Myth Surrounding Sleep
Since a concussion is a brain injury it can be difficult to heal because you cannot shut off your brain like you can put a cast on a broken bone. One of the best ways to recover from a concussion is to rest your brain, and this includes getting a lot of sleep.
Many people have heard the myth that if you get a concussion that you need to stay awake or you might slip into a coma. According to the Marshfield Clinic, it is actually a good thing to get some sleep after a brain injury.
It is still advised to see a doctor after getting a concussion to get a formal evaluation, but if a person can hold a conversation and seems okay the doctor will most likely clear then to get some rest. Just as someone would rest a broken arm, it is important to rest the brain as well.
Football Players
Avid viewers of football games know that there is usually a game every week, unless the team has a bye week. The average concussion cannot fully heal in this short time frame, so many players may be putting themselves at a greater risk by playing before their brain has healed.
It has been found that as a person gets more and more concussions the risk for permanent brain damage increases. The brain is even more vulnerable to further damage if it has not fully recovered from the first concussion.
All players are required to wear helmets during game play, but it is clearly not preventing concussions. There is currently research being done to try and develop new helmets that would better protect the brain.
Concussions are an invisible injury, so they might not seem as serious as they truly are. It is becoming increasingly more obvious that there needs to be more precautions taken by athletes and trainers to protect the brain.
Invisible Injuries in Football
