In full contact sports around the world, there is one word that can strike fear into the minds of hopeful athletes, concussion. Having hearing the phrase “You have a concussion” the average athlete will probably be overcome with sadness as this means they should sit out for a game or two. When it comes to the science behind concussions, what really is happening?
Concussions first start with a blow to the head causing stretching of the brain cells. Once this happens, the neurons start a release of neurotransmitters which will signal for a release of potassium from the cell. In a normal cell, the potassium concentration is much greater on the inside, so after the concussion, the cell tries to reestablish this norm and consumes a great amount of energy bringing the potassium back into the cell. Because the cell uses so much energy, it tries to counter that by increasing metabolism in your body to replenish it which will eventually lead to lactate accumulation, calcium influx, and cell death.
As stated before, concussions are a large problem in sports. Athletes will often receive minor concussions and continue to play even though if they get injured again they could undergo even more serious side effects. The question then becomes, should we have federal regulations as to how long a player has to sit out after a concussion? Although this may seem like a harsh rule, I believe it should be followed, at least until we have developed a better treatment for concussions. Before you get mad, hear me out. Although professional football players may have a relatively short recovery time compared to a high school or college athlete, I feel they should still have to sit out the same amount of time. This is attributed to the fact that most lower level sports players idolize the professionals and will want to take after them in every way they can. This is not a good thing in this case as the younger players are still in a brain development state and if they return to play too early, there could be serious consequences. This regulation would also eliminate any “gray area” and require everyone to sit out the same amount of time. In my opinion, this would be the best solution to the problem. People don’t realize this severity of a concussion and I feel that this minor regulation would allow for more people to open their eyes to this problem.
Another possible solution to the concussion problem would be to have greater emphasis and training before the season starts to make people aware of concussions. One big problem is people don’t realize how severe these can be and just a little team meeting before the season with a “scare tactics” video may make players more aware of the problem and perhaps fix two things. One, they would be aware of the severity and perhaps be more willing to sit out after an injury and two, they would be more aware and perhaps play less violently and lower the number of cases around the nation.
As you can see, concussions are attributed to major blows to the head which can cause serious brain issues in your life. In sports, many players shrug off concussions and go right back to play. I feel that the enforcement of a minor regulation on sports leagues would help people open their eyes to concussions allowing them to play safer and if they do get a concussion, be more willing to sit out for a game or two.
Concussions: a Silent Killer
