Concussion Discussion

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Keep your brain happy!

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Concussion Caution

“Preventing Traumatic Brain Injury” is an article by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) used to education people on how to prevent traumatic brain injuries. The CDC begins by stating that having an understanding of traumatic brain injuries (TBI), its risks, signs, and symptoms, is the first step in preventing one. A TBI can disrupt the brain and whether the TBI is at the mild end of the spectrum or at the severe end, it can be prevented, and those with one can make improvements. The CDC indicates that within the United States: males have a higher tendency to obtain a TBI than women, the highest rate of those obtaining a TBI comes from fall related accidents involving children or the elderly, most likely to sustain a TBI from car accidents are teenagers and young adults, and the elderly are most likely the ones to need medical attention or result in a fatality. As the article progresses, the CDC brings attention to the fact that, although most people recover quickly, that is not the case for everyone. “In severe cases, a TBI can lead to coma and even death.” The CDC then provides a helpful little chart of the signs and symptoms of a TBI, which “usually fall into four categories” thinking/ remembering, physical, emotional/mood, and sleep. The chart includes three to four symptoms for each category including difficulty thinking clearly, headaches, irritability, and trouble falling asleep. The next section subtitled “Getting Help” strongly advises those with a TBI, or that know someone with a TBI to call a “health care professional,” and then quickly moves into another section called “Getting Better.” This section regards what the title suggests, the significance of a recovery from a TBI. It is mentioned that “trying to ‘tough it out’ often makes symptoms worse.” It’s very important to take your time to heal properly, so “be patient” and do not return to activity before “you have the approval of your health care professional.” The last three subsections, only about a sentence or two each, refer to “reaching out”, “improving research” and “helping spread the word.” They reflect on their own research and the importance of spreading the awareness to others. The CDC encourages a person to be sure to get help when needed, and to educate oneself to know how to keep yourself, and those around you safe.

Through this article, the CDC uncovers a fundamentally important principle of being educated in regards to brain injuries in order to know how to help oneself. I could not agree more. As I have mentioned previously, I had no idea what I was potentially getting myself into every time I walked out onto a soccer field, and I  want to encourage others to understand what could possibly happen before it does.  Although it may seem unlikely, there is no way of knowing if it will happen to you or a loved one, but it’s always best to be prepared. The CDC also gives great information on understanding the signs and symptoms to help its readers be able to identify if an incident has already occurred, and what signs to be on the lookout for regarding injury.

I hope through reading my blogs you will be one step closer to understanding, and protecting yourself. Though they may not be discussed frequently enough, concussions surround us everyday. They have the ability to flip our lives upside down, or even worse. Don’t be afraid to get your head out of the game.

Citations

US Government. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2014). Preventing Traumatic Brain Injuries. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/features/braininjury/index.html

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Society’s Injury

The Daily Telegraph, a famous news platform, featured an article in 2016 titled “Stop Telling People to ‘Suck it Up’” by Angela Connell. Connell begins by describing the difficulties mothers have raising children and in their daily family responsibilities. She explains how throughout the day many mothers go through problems where they feel the need to tell themselves to “suck it up.” Connell noticed evidence on social media, and in different articles of other mothers telling themselves, and everyone around them the same thing. Connell recalled one blog in particular where a woman told how she loved the phrase and “she used it regularly on her friends.” However, according to Connell, “‘suck it up’ is an ugly phrase and we shouldn’t be using it on each other.” As the article continues, Connell gives the origin of the phrase “suck it up,” which originated during WWII. During the war when the pilots vomited into their masks, they were told the phrase in a literal sense. They must either suck up their vomit or “otherwise breath it in and die.” Connell states that this saying and mentality was reasonably understandable at that time and within that situation, but shouldn’t be used often in everyday life. She wonders, “When did it become OK to dismiss other people and their problems so directly?” Connell shows her compassion by saying that “it’s as cruel as it is dismissive” to tell those around you with problems to “suck it up.” The article ends with going into an even deeper potential problem of undermining someone with a legitimate condition or issue. She says telling someone with an issue to “‘suck it up’ is at best plain insensitive and at worst dangerous to someone in the depths of despair.” Instead, Connell suggests giving your friends, peers, and all around you encouraging words such as “you can do this”, to build them up instead of possibly being insensitive.

Although the article “stop telling people to suck it up” mainly refers to family and motherhood, I find that the same underlying principle, of an insensitive damaged modern mindset, applies to all aspects of life, and sports. In society today we are told to “suck it up” “tough it out” and “play through the pain”, but why should we? I’m not condoning calling 9-1-1 over a paper cut, and it’s true that everyone has to get through tough times, but if there is a real problem there is no sense in covering up your feelings when instead, you could be taking care of yourself. If you have a brain injury, or any other serious injury, don’t feel the need to “suck it up.” Take a moment to make sure you are alright, and consider whether or not the game you are in is worth more than your health.

Citation

Connell, Angela. (2016, January 23). Stop telling people to ‘suck it up’. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved from http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/rendezview/stop-telling-people-to-suck-it-up/news-story/8aafc75f7b310e702f4b4c0baec8fb31 

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Denial Dilemma

“Monty Python and the Holy Grail” is a slapstick comedy from 1975 written by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin. This movie includes a scene with “The Black Knight,”  a character that declines to become part of King Arthur’s “Court of Camelot” and then refuses to let the king pass his bridge. King Arthur and the Black Knight engage in battle for Arthur’s right to pass and Arthur cuts off one of the knight’s arms. Arthur then tells the Knight to move so he can cross the bridge, but the knight says, “Tis but a scratch.” Arthur in shock says, “A Scratch? Your arms off!” To which the Knight replies, “No it isn’t” and soon they began to battle again. Arthur cuts off the knights other arm, and assuming victory, kneels to pray, to give thanks for the victory when suddenly, he gets kicked in the head by the knight who insists on continuing the duel saying that he is “invincible.”  When Arthur refuses to proceed with the fight again, claiming the knight is “a looney,” the knight successfully provokes him by calling him a “chicken”. To end the battle, Arthur cuts off one of the knights legs and as the knight still persists, he cuts off the other leg. While Arthur resumes his journey and walks away from the knight, the knight yells for him to come back and finish the fight claiming that he’ll “bite” his legs off.

Although Monty Python and the Holy Grail is merely a comedy for people’s entertainment, I found something more, a comparison to modern day athletics. This battle scene is a great representation of the military mindset and the denial people display in sports towards their own injuries, and in particular, brain related injuries. In life or death situations like military for example, the best option while injured may be to keep pushing, keep fighting, and press on for life. The importance of their persistence and bravery is nothing short of terrifying and heroic. They defend their own lives, as well as their companion’s, and nation’s. However, military and sports, especially youth sports, are not the same thing!

Looking back on my own experiences in sports, it astounds me to see the lengths I went through to chase after a ball. I do not mean to down sports in anyway. I love sports, and still miss being a part of the team, but the four years of traumatic brain injury side effects I am still dealing with, has cleared my vision on the value of a game verses a life. We play as though the worst thing in life would be to lose a game or a championship, but regardless of the monetary or emotional value and pride attached to that victory feeling, it could never have as much value as a human life. Yet, instead of feeling pain or something wrong and deciding to take a step back, much like the knight when he got his arms cut off, we feel the need to push through the problems that could be cured before it’s too late, and thus we help create our own painful future.

Citation

Forstater, Mark (producer), Goldstone, John(producer), White, Michael (producer), & Gilliam, Terry (Director), Jones, Terry (Director). (1975). Monty Python and the Holy Grail. [motion picture]. United Kingdom: Michael White Production, National Film Trustee Company, Python (Monty) Pictures.

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Concussion Crisis

The youtube video, “The NFL’s concussion crisis, explained” by Joseph Stromberg at Vox, is a source that analyzes different well-known articles, discussions, interviews, and statistics to help it’s viewers understand what the “crisis” of concussions, relating to the NFL, really is. Stromberg explains that Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is commonly being found in NFL players and threatens the future of football. According to Stromberg, football players are prepared to break a bone, get bruises, or tear a muscle however, “There’s something a lot less sad about a 50-year-old who can’t run versus a 50-year-old who can’t think.” So far, there are 50 deceased former NFL players who donated their brains to science upon their death, and those said brains were confirmed to have CTE. This leads scientists and doctors to suspect that there are hundreds currently suffering from it. After this problem was discovered, the NFL tried to suppress the severity and danger the research had uncovered. In one of their official documents they said, “...many NFL players can be safely allowed to return to play on the day of injury after sustaining an MTBI” (Mild Traumatic Brain Injury). However, they have since changed directions, settled a lawsuit against them for $765 million, donated much to the research of CTE and attempted to help by changing some rules to make the players hitting each others heads less common. Stromberg explains that there is no way to stop concussions in football completely, regardless of the rule changes, and that it’s just the way the game is. Finally, he states that if the sport itself were to be under threat from brain injury related concerns, it wouldn’t be by people simply not watching. The threat would be from parents no longer letting their children play. Former Green Bay Packers member Brett Favre says, “If I had a son, I would be real leery of him playing.” Other parents must feel the same as the number of players under the age of 16 have been steadily declining.

The “NFL Concussion Crisis, Explained” is a great source for beginners to go to in order to learn the basics of the concussion debate. The article takes from different sources, studies, and interviews to give a well rounded view of the crisis in its entirety. Although he does give several opinions, Stromberg remains more neutral than most in his explanation of the crisis and he allows the viewer to see the facts for themselves. This video helped me see the issues more clearly. Trying to research to find an explanation, or to make sense of the current concussion headlines, can be quite difficult with all the different biased articles and documents. This article helps give people insight to the detriment that brain injuries can cause. Whereas most articles I’ve displayed thus far have great statistical proof and scientific explanations, the interviews compiled in this article bring to life the issues and give it more meaning. To hear about the dangers of concussions is one thing, but to see the effects right in front of you, creates an emotional connection to reinforce the issues. These problems don’t come with words and numbers, they come with real life faces and people behind them. I encourage you to consider those 50 deceased players, their families and the lives they went through, while you make your own choices regarding sports.

Citations

Stromberg, Joseph. (2014, September 4). The NFL’s Concussion Crisis, Explained [video file].

Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnAmddi52Y8

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Pro Football

Dan Flynn writes an article in the Chicago Tribune titled, “Lost in the mix: Pro football lawsuits hurting youth football.” As the title suggests, Flynn argues that the lawsuits towards the NFL are scaring young athlete’s parents and hurting youth football. He first talks about the main plaintiff Steve “Mongo” McMichael and his reasons for suing, but quickly moves on to persuade his readers that McMichael is compromised and that the “suit features more than 400 plaintiffs… who never played a down in the league.” Flynn concludes his article by discussing how the lawsuits instead of impacting the “football haves” such as those in the NFL and rich football owners, it is instead only negatively impacting the football “have nots”.  He focuses on Chicagoland Youth Football League a “have not” in the football industry, and what he considers to be their inevitable downfall from the NFL lawsuit. Flynn explains that the 7.5 percent decrease the League suffered this year was majorly due to the NFL suit scaring the parents of young athletes, who are now not allowed to participate. According to Flynn, the decrease is going to continue as the lawsuits persist. He expresses that the Chicagoland Youth Football League and other “have nots” are in trouble. In his opinion, football has been getting safer than it was before, but is now in jeopardy due to the lawsuits and fear of concussions. Flynn, author of "The War on Football: Saving America's Game”, wrote this article to discourage against the lawsuits towards the NFL and football, or at least to inform the public of the problems the lawsuits are creating. This is shown in his last sentence as he states, “Hits have consequences. Lawsuits do too.”  Flynn wants to protect the youth aspect of football, and help the industry of Chicagoland Youth Football League, and all other smaller leagues from going bankrupt.

I found this article as an interesting counter argument to “Game Over for Concussion Debate: Column.” Through these blogs, it may become apparent that I wish to advocate for people being more cautious in sports, and to show the true and severe long term effects that football can invoke, but I don’t want this to be confused with disliking football. Although I agree more with Reeds, I want to show that there are similarities between both sides. Reeds and Flynn both display deep concerns in regard for football and athletes, however, they seem to see the sport and concussion predicament differently, which could put them at opposite ends of the spectra. Reeds is the type of person whom you’d find in a lawsuit against the major causes of concussions, and Flynn would be the defender. Reeds in no way claims to dislike football, but is clearly more concerned with the safety of the athletes than preserving the game itself. Flynn, on the other hand, is more concerned with preserving football than any possible concussions that may occur. He doesn’t undermine the impact and importance of concussion education directly, but some may say he is too caught up in the sport to understand that human health is more important than any sport.

Citation

Flynn, Dan. (2013, August 15). Lost in the mix: Pro football lawsuits hurting youth football. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved from

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-08-15/opinion/ct-oped-0816-football-20130816_1_chicago-bears-litigants-kansas-city-chiefs

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What You Ignore Can Kill You

“Game Over for Concussion Debate: Column” by Ken Reeds, sports policy director for League of Fans and author of “How we can save sports: a game plan” is an article that brings an interesting perspective of safety to the concussion debate. He writes to inform readers of concussion related problems in sports, and how dangerous they can be. He also encourages people to stop avoiding the risks that contact sports bring and to think cautiously about whether or not the danger is worth playing. He explains that people pretend they have not heard about the issues and display “avoidance behavior.” They are scared of what might happen to their children or themselves so they avoid the issues when what they really need to do is think about the risks they are putting themselves in. Reeds is concerned that youth sports are possibly too dangerous to continue. He supports his concern by showing statistical evidence regarding youth concussions, the most prevalent concussion causing sports, medical preparation in high schools, players who put themselves at risk of Second Impact Syndrome, and comparing youth athletics with professional athletics. One of his research examples explains that it is not recommended for children under the age of 14 to play contact sports such as football, soccer, and hockey. Reeds ends the article and reiterates his point by attempting to further persuade his readers to stop avoiding concussions and to consider if sports are even worth playing.

Reeds sheds light to the predicament the sports industry is in and explains how people are continuing the problem by avoiding what they’ve learned. Instead of seeing how dangerous sports can be, they deny it and pretend like nothing could go wrong. This article shows his perspective and concern for athletes, and conveys how paramount this topic really is. Although, enough research has been done to prove that sports put athletes, especially youth athletes, at great risk of serious consequences, insufficient changes have been made to prevent or at least slow the risk of injury. I found Reeds’s article very compelling. He did, at times, seem condescending, while stating that people are displaying avoidance behavior, but overall a sense of sincerity and care for the well being of every athlete gave Reeds a caring vibe that I trusted. It reminded me of conversations with my father, who never sugar-coated problems, but always looked out for everyone’s best interest.

Before reading this article,  I had always known that concussions were a big risk of sports, but never knew that playing sports at a young age makes you more vulnerable. If I would’ve known that playing while younger could cause long term harm, I would have reconsidered my own choices with sports.  I also didn’t know that so many athletes were returning back to the game after being concussed and risking the Second Impact Syndrome, which Reeds describes to be the dangerous act of returning to a game or activity too soon.  One of the many statistics of the article states that 40.5 percent of athletes return prematurely. I was quite surprised because I anticipated that the players would be much more cautious since it probably hurt when they were concussed. The fact that they continue to play once already having been hit in the head further proves Reeds’s claim that people avoid problems and should take concussions more seriously.

Citation

Reed, Ken. (2015, March 6). Game over for concussions: Column. USA Today. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/amp/amp.usatoday.com/story/24383229/

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The official GIPHY page of the NFL.

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The Less Common

The Concussion Legacy Foundation wrote the article “What is PCS?” to inform people about Post Concussion Syndrome (PCS), its commonness, the risk factors, the seriousness of the illness, and how to help someone with it. The article first begins with the normal tendencies of concussions, being that the symptoms typically last about two week and dissipate completely in about a month. Then, it explains that if the symptoms continue to persist after longer periods of time you may be diagnosed with PCS, although it is not very common, The Concussion Legacy Foundation says, “It is important for PCS sufferers to know they are not alone.”  About 10% of high school age kids are diagnosed with PCS and anywhere from 5-30% for people in other age groups. With PCS, one suffers symptoms “at rest or in response to too much physical or cognitive activity, often forcing them to withdraw from their usual physical, professional, and social lives.” The Foundation informs its reader that PCS is “difficult to predict,” but generally, females and the elderly are more vulnerable to attain PCS, as well as individuals who may have already suffered some sort of brain impact, or have a history of mood or anxiety disorders.

The foundation continues its article with an explanation of the impact and seriousness that PCS can have in people's’ lives. The foundation explains how detrimental PCS is to its sufferer, beyond what most would understand by saying, “In addition to having to constantly manage concussion symptoms, which can intensify with normal activity, long-term PCS patients often have to restructure their lives to avoid activities and situations that cause symptoms to worsen.” The next section of the article responds to a question regarding treatment for PCS. Like concussions, treatment is usually, “A matter of resting and allowing the brain’s natural recovery process” to treat itself and there is no “single treatment” that will work for PCS. Every case, injury and brain is different, so the best a doctor can do is try to treat the individual symptoms that his/her patient may have. The article concludes with lengthy advice to those who know people with PCS. The foundation explains that individuals that suffer PCS often feel “isolated by their illness” making it hard for family members, friends, and loved ones to help, which “can lead to observers dismissing or minimizing a patient’s symptoms, which hurts.” The article leaves the reader with empathy for those affected and encourages bystanders to be supportive.

“What is PCS?” is a great source for information and understanding of what Post Concussion Syndrome is, but it also leads into an important perspective of how to help a person suffering from PCS. It’s hard for people to understand things they haven’t gone through, especially when you can’t see anything wrong. The problem with brain injuries, and other internal injuries, is that there are few physical signs for people to see. If someone sees a person in a wheelchair, with a cast on, or using crutches, they are bound to make a connection that there is something wrong and tend to be more considerate, but a brain injury is out of sight and out of mind. It leads people to undermine the severity of the symptoms or doubt the condition entirely. Undermining what another person is dealing with causes them to feel isolated or like they are insignificant. It’s important to keep in mind that everyone goes through different things and that someone could be going through something without you knowing.

When I went through my concussion, I was forced to drop out of regular high school, all of the clubs and activities, causing me to loose all of my friends and the entire life I had. While I was trying to handle the migraines, confusion, dizziness, and complete lifestyle change, I also had to deal with my peers doubting me and causing me to feel like a liar, thus causing me to doubt myself. I hate to admit it, but I would’ve done the same to my peers if I hadn’t gone through it myself, but hopefully, the more aware people become to PCS, the easier it will get for its sufferers.

Citations

Unkown. (Unk). What is PCS? Retrieved from

https://concussionfoundation.org/PCS-resources/what-is-PCS

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Let’s Start With Some Basics

To understand the problem and significance of concussions, it is helpful to get a glimpse into what the word “concussion” really means. My favorite explanation is given in a Youtube video titled, “What happens when you have a concussion?-Clifford Robbins” by Clifford Robbins. This video consists of information about how concussions occur, what a concussion is, post concussion problems, and research on degenerative brain diseases associated with concussions. It is first stated that concussions occur when our fragile brain neurons stretch or tear, and release toxins killing other neurons. Robbins explains that concussion symptoms may include blackouts, blurry vision, headaches, balance problems, altered mood and behavior, problems with memory, thinking and sleeping or anxiety and depression. The majority of concussions go away in days or weeks, but sometimes Post Concussion Syndrome (PCS) occurs. With PCS, one suffers constant headaches, learning difficulties, and behavioral symptoms. Robbins says that sometimes it’s hard to know if you have a concussion. In fact, 50%-80% of concussions in football are undiagnosed. Furthermore, Robbins states that subconcussive impacts are very common without being diagnosed or treated. Soccer players were studied and found to have “damaged structural integrity of axon bundles” over time after heading the ball repeatedly. In simpler words, after heading the ball too much, the soccer players could sustain nervous system damage and brain damage that can lead to more serious issues like traumatic brain injuries and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Finally, it informs that too many subconcussive hits have been found to cause CTE, a degenerative brain disease. He also explains what CTE is by telling that the Tau proteins in the brain “dislodge and clump together” when hit and block communications in the brain. These are the first steps to a brain malfunction.

This video is only six minutes, but is jam packed with important facts that would be useful for any person to know. It is viewer friendly and breaks down concussions and related problems in a very understandable way. Research can be confusing at times, as you get so many different points of view in different articles and videos on one subject that they start to meld together. Medical research can be even worse since the sites speak a language that is not understandable to someone outside of the medical field. This video did a great job of starting with the basics and showing this reader clearly and effectively, what concussions really are as well as it explain other diseases and syndromes that can occur. Before I watched this video I knew the symptoms that concussions produce, but never knew the reason why those symptoms occurred, or what was really happening. It was nice to put scientific reasoning behind the word concussion. I suffered a traumatic brain injury in September of 2013 playing in a high school soccer game. It changed my life and opened my eyes to a dangerous reality that most seem to avoid. I waited the prescribed two weeks for the symptoms to stop occurring, but they persisted. My diagnoses lingered a few months, then a year, and symptoms continued to grow until I came to the realization that my symptoms may continue indefinitely or possibly never cease completely. My situation inspired me to learn as much as I could about concussions so I could help others learn of the risks they take as well, if they choose to participate in extracurricular activities. Perhaps, if someone had shared more information with me about the severity and long term conditions of sports, I would have acted more cautiously. If anyone has heard the word concussion, but never understood fundamentally what that means, I highly recommend this article, and hope my future blogs can also help shed a little light on this very prevalent subject.

Citation

Robbins, Clifford. (2017, July 27). What happens when you have a concussion? - Clifford

Robbins [video file]. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvjK-4NXRsM