Concussions
Jon Russell
The Definition of Concussion
A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that can occur when you hit your head on a moving object or a hard object. It also affects how your brain works.
How Concussions Occur
Some concussions occur by athletic people that play sports like football,soccer and rugby where there is physical contact with your head. Football players get concussions from tackling each other. People that don’t play sports get concussions by hitting their head on a hard surface like another persons head, a brick building or slipping on ice.
1.6 million to 3.8 million concussions occur each year.
Impact speed of a professional boxers punch is 20 mph
Impact speed of a football player tackling a standing player is 25 mph
Impact speed of a soccer ball being headed by a player: 70mph
How Does a Normal Brain Work
A normal brain should have no symptoms
The brain has tissues and when you have a concussion the tissues can tare
A normal brain has 15-100 billion neurons
A person with a concussion has 70% of brain cells are dead
The brain controls the temperature of blood and pressure
What Happens to your brain During a Concussion
When your head is hit the brain has a fluid that acts like a shock absorbent material but if it is a minor hit to the head it will happen to be a concussion. When your head is hit the brain goes faster into the skull and bruises the brain then it swells up and is damaged. The brain gets damaged by moving around the skull and tears the tissue of the brain.
High School Sports
5-10% of athletes will get a concussion
Fewer than 10% of sport related concussions involve a Loss of Consciousness
Football is the most common sport to get a concussion (75% chance for concussion)Soccer is the most sport that people can get a concussion(50% chance for concussion)
78% of concussions occur during games
Headaches (85%) and Dizziness (70-80%)
47% of athletes do not report feeling any symptoms while hit with the object.
Signs and Sympotoms
Nausea and vomiting
Headache
Fuzzy or blurry vision
Dizziness
Sensitivity to light or noise
Balance problems
Feeling tired or having no energy
Stiff neck
Sleepy/hard to wake up
Fever
Fluid or blood leaking from nose or ears
Problems walking or talking
Changes of behavior or unusual behavior
Vomiting three or more times
Treatments of a Concussion
Rest most of the time and let it heal on its own.
Call the doctor right away.
Don’t to attend sports or physical activity’s.
Minor injury - no treatment just let it treat itself for one to two weeks/it might take a couple months.
Major injury - bleeding under the skull or bleeding in the brain or if you have a fractured skull than go to the hospital or if needed call 911
Prognosis
Somebody that has a concussion could die if it is repeated.The person who does not repeat another concussion can live but the concussion won’t go away until the swelling is healed,This takes one to two weeks for the brain to heal.