Concussions can cause long lasting neurological problems. In extreme cases head trauma (even sub-concussive) can lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy. This neurodegenerative disease has horrible symptoms, memory loss, disorientation, violence, social issues, depression, even suicide.
When I started doing research on CTE this week I was shocked. I saw story after story of successful, motivated people falling victim to this horrible disease. It would their lives. All because of a history of concussions.
So what can we do to prevent brain injuries? We could stop doing activities that result in concussions.
Sadly, that is impossible. Even if it was possible to convince people to stop playing contact sports like football, wrestling and even soccer; car crashes and other accidents would still exist and people would still get head trauma.
Since it is impossible to completely prevent concussions. We need to do a better job treating them and educating people on the importance of recovering from concussions.
Currently there is no conclusive biomarker such as a blood test that can tell if someone has a concussion. However, it likely that this will be possible in the future. For now, medical professions must diagnose concussions by symptoms described by the patients.
This system has a problem. Athletes and students with concussions face pressure to keep up in school and return to playing sports as soon as possible. This is problematic because it doesn’t give them time to heal. Ideally after a concussion a person should not just abstain from TV and sports but should really limit reading, intense problem solving, and studying. Sadly, this is not feasible for the vast majority people.
We need to prioritize our health and let people recover from concussions to prevent permanent neurological damage. Having people try to continue normal school or work activities with a concussion is like asking someone with a broken ankle to go run a mile. It will just make the healing process more painful and difficult and may end up making the injury worse.
Another reason to let people heal is second impact syndrome. This condition is caused by multiple concussions occurring in a short period of time. It can cause permanent disability or even death.
We need to let people recover after concussions and be more cautious in letting people return to normal activities. If people can’t avoid getting concussions we need to let them heal, or there could be permanent neurological consequences.
We Need to Let People Heal From Concussions
