Effects of Concussions
"Traumatic brain injury is a public health epidemic," says Doctor James Kelly of Northwestern Memorial Hospital of Chicago. In the United States alone, nearly 300,000 amateur athletes and over one million people overall suffer from concussions each year (Jones). Despite this overwhelming number of cases, the general public is more often than not clueless about what a concussion actually is. As a matter of fact the general public would be utterly shocked by these unbelievable results. According to resent studies there is a greater number of diagnosed concussions each year, than the total amount of newly diagnosed cases of multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease combined (Jones). Concussions are a very dangerous and even deadly injury, due to the fact that they are a traumatic brain injury. A severe blow to the head is the cause of a traumatic brain injury, creating a potential danger of irreversible brain damage. In medical terms, a concussion is due to an impact to the head that creates sudden movement of the brain within the skull. Structural brain damage is very mild or unseen if proper treatment and diagnosis is taken (Mayo Clinic). The most important key to a successful recovery is recognizin
This caution doesn't mean that athletes should abandon sports. It simply means that concussions are something very serious and cannot be taken lightly or overlooked by injured victims. They are very serious and need to be handled in a serious manner. Just Remember this one statement, "It is better to be safe now, than sorry later." In order to recover properly an early diagnosis and proper healing must take place. Since the only known cure for concussions is rest, the earlier the diagnosis the better. Complications during diagnosis may occur due to the possibility of bleeding within the skull. This more than likely deadly condition requires emergency surgery to prevent paralysis, brain damage, and worst of all death. Damage may include epidural and subdural hemorrhage, bleeding within the skull and/or brain. X-rays and CT scan is required to determine if serious damage is present. Signs of serious damage may not be obvious or may not appear until days after injury occurs. The fact that signs of serious may not appear immediately is a major cause for misdiagnosis, while also creating a potential danger. Due to signs not being immediately detectable an observation period of twenty-four to forty-eight hours is usually required to see if further symptoms develop (Mayo Clinic). Due to misdiagnosis, there are over 50,000 deaths and 70,000 plus cases involving long-term disabilities occur in the United States alone. Most of these cases could have been avoided with proper treatment and diagnosis. Dr. Kelly says, "Most doctors overlook or misdiagnose brain concussions, due to the fact that most are poorly educated about this syndrome and miss complaints commonly linked to concussions." (Jones) g symptoms early and getting treatment as quickly as possible. Look at the following for a list of common sy
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