Most people, even those in the medical profession, didn’t give concussions very much attention prior to the past couple of decades. However, what science tells us about concussions is definitely worth the attention and worth discussing further. Here’s where medical science lands on concussions right now.
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While most individuals knew that if you sustained a concussion, you needed some recovery time, few thought that they would have long-lasting effects from one. Even multiple concussions didn’t seem all that dangerous, or at least not to the point where doctors were specifically issuing dire warnings about them.
In recent years, though, that has changed. Most doctors began to realize that concussions had an element of danger attached to them that no one knew about half a century before.
It also became evident that this issue had a more widespread effect than most people knew. Not long ago, 29% of survey respondents said they’d suffered a concussion. This statistic crossed many demographics, including age, ethnicity, lifestyle, etc.
What Does the Term Concussion Mean?
The term concussion refers to an injury where someone’s brain jolts back and forth so that it bounces inside their skull. The brain hitting the skull’s interior damages it.
If you sustain a concussion, you might feel dizzy. You may experience bright lights or noises, though those might not actually exist in the real world. You may lose consciousness for a few seconds or longer.
You may suffer headaches afterward as well. You may vomit or feel nauseous. You may experience these symptoms right after the event that causes the concussion, or they may not kick in till several hours later.
What Causes Concussions?
Just about any situation that causes the brain’s jostling inside the skull that we described can cause a concussion. Car wrecks frequently cause them. You can get a concussion through tripping or slipping and falling if you strike your head on the ground or against an inanimate object.
The Link Between Sports and Concussions
Individuals who play sports often sustain concussions. Recently, a salacious TV series documented the life of former football star Aaron Hernandez. He played for the New England Patriots and murdered multiple people before getting a prison sentence and losing his football career. He subsequently killed himself while in prison.
The case got widespread attention, especially after scientists studied his brain. They saw evidence that he had sustained multiple concussions. They concluded that concussions probably helped to bring on his violent tendencies and erratic behavior.
The former football player Junior Seau also killed himself after his playing career, and his unpredictable behavior seemed to mimic that of Hernandez. Following these incidents, doctors and scientists became more vocal about the link between playing sports like football and concussions.
The death of former professional wrestler Chris Benoit also got a lot of media attention. Benoit killed not only himself, but his wife and young son in a tragic murder-suicide. Studying his brain revealed that he had suffered extensive brain trauma due to many years of impacts from steel chairs.
You Can Have More and Less Severe Concussions
Doctors have concluded at this point that you can sustain less or more severe concussions. You might sustain a minor one and not have any notable symptoms afterward other than a little dizziness and a headache.
However, you may also sustain a major concussion through a car wreck, a violent collision while playing football or soccer, or something else. If you do, doctors might recommend that you never play sports again, or that you avoid any other situation where further concussions become possible.
You can never completely avoid a freak accident where you hit your head, but now, at least most people know that they should take concussions much more seriously than they once did.
Multiple Concussions Can Cause CTE
In the case of Benoit, Seau, or Hernandez, doctors feel that these individuals probably went from sustaining multiple serious concussions to developing CTE. CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, sometimes occurs when someone hits their head not just once, but many times.
Professional athletics like wrestling, soccer, football, or rugby all put the individuals who play them at inherent risk. While someone might sustain a single concussion and recover with no notable ill effects, every time such a person takes another hit to the head, they risk changing their entire personality.
It makes sense, since these kinds of blows can change the very fabric of a person’s unique identity. Many family members of individuals who have sustained multiple concussions describe how their personalities seem to change.
They might yell or act violently, even if they never did such things before. However, even if you suspect that someone has contracted CTE from sustaining multiple concussions, you can’t know for sure until they die and an autopsy looks closely at their brain.
Stay Away from Activities Where You Can Sustain Concussions
Some individuals love the sports they play, and they do not want to quit them. Recently, Miami Dolphins’ quarterback Tua Tagovailoa made headlines for proclaiming that he wasn’t going to retire from football, even though he has received multiple concussions during his college and professional career.
While love of the game might encourage some individuals to keep risking their health, that’s a personal choice that might come back to bite them later in life. Some people feel that’s admirable passion to which others should aspire.
That’s certainly a matter of personal opinion, but just about any doctor or scientist who studies the human brain would agree that every time you voluntarily take part in an activity where another player might hit you in the head, you risk your health and future.
An accidental concussion might not impact your life very much, assuming it’s not very serious. However, it’s when you keep taking hits to the head and your brain becomes damaged through constantly hitting the skull’s interior that you may have severe health problems sooner rather than later. It’s something to keep in mind as you go through life.
