Sports Concussion Research Paper

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As an athlete, and one who plays football, the thought of getting a concussion is constantly in the back of my mind. I have actually gone through two concussions and am now diagnosed with post-concussive syndrome, which is taking away my season and potentially my career. According to Minh-Ha Hoang and Aaron M. Lear from the Journal of Family Practice, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that approximately 300,000 sports concussions occur yearly in the United States, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that approximately 300,000 sports concussions occur yearly in the United States. I would love to do something about it, but unfortunately concussions are a relatively new science. Back when my uncles played…show more content…
Many professional athletes, particularly football players who have suffered head injuries, have retired from the NFL happy, only to find that they depend on the physical activity that they cannot have anymore that they become depressed and on several occasions commit suicide. Junior Seau, a linebacker in the National Football League, committed suicide a couple years ago, just 3 years after retiring from the NFL. Doctors reported that he had had several concussions, and the mental trauma on top of the lack of physical exertion drove him into a deeply depressed state and contributed to his CTE, a degenerative brain disorder caused by repeated head trauma. “We saw changes in his behavior and things that didn't add up with him," his ex-wife, Gina, told The Associated Press. "But (CTE) was not something we considered or even were aware of. But pretty immediately (after the suicide) doctors were trying to get their hands on Junior's brain to examine it." (Barry Wilner, Huffington Post) In another case, John Cornell, a former quarterback for Northwestern University who went to two training camps for the New Orleans Saints, spoke in an interview about a time he suffered a concussion so severe he was disoriented and felt numb from the neck down. After feeling like that, the coaches still allowed him to get back onto the field after just a few short days had passed. He said later in the interview that he has had significant short-term memory problems over the past ten years. “I’m so lucky I’m not playing now,” Cornell said in the interview with the Chicago Tribune. “Even if the equipment is better designed, it’s not enough.” This is the kind of negligent behavior that can cause lifelong mental deficiency or worse yet, death. In my opinion, you aren’t going to get people to stop playing sports. I have post concussive syndrome, and as soon as I’m cleared I’m heading back onto
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