Accidents happen all the time, but what effects do those accidents have on your body? Brain injuries are a common injury than many people disregard. There are many long term effects that can come from a concussion.
A mild traumatic brain injury that affects the normal functions of the brain is called a concussion. Concussions can result from falling, car accidents, sports, or any other trauma to the head. The word concussion comes from the Latin term concutere meaning “to shake violently”(Parks 11). The brain is surrounded by cerebrospinal fluid, which acts as a soft barrier that protects it from hitting the skull hard during an accident. The brain is a large, fragile, gelatin-like organ that weighs around three pounds, or 1.4 kilograms(Parks 11).
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It is estimated that between 1.6 million and 3.8 million brain injuries occur per year, however there will never be an exact number that is proven due to the fact that many concussions will go unreported(Foxhall 11). Many concussions also are never recorded due to the lack of tests that are available to diagnose a concussion. There are no current tests that can diagnose the injury because the only proper way to diagnose a concussion is to observe symptoms and identify differences from normal brain functions. All brains are unique meaning that the severity and the time of onset for the symptoms of the concussion will be different for everyone, meaning that many symptoms will go unnoticed and the healing process may never take place.
The symptoms of a concussion are mainly because of the brain metabolism, not the structural damage like everyone believes(Bass 16). Some of the many rapid onset symptoms can be loss of consciousness, memory loss, confusion, vomiting, dizziness, partial paralysis, numbness, shock, and anxiety(Gillard 20). Contrary to popular belief, just because someone gets a concussion does not mean they will lose consciousness. All brains are unique and all concussions are unique so a person that experiences a concussion may not experience all symptoms. They may even only experience one symptom. The symptoms for a mild concussion can last anywhere from seven days to ten days while the symptoms for a complex concussion may recover in one to three months(Patel 62). “Brain trauma experts say that symptoms typically fade within a week or 2 for at least 80% of people who are concussed”(Parks 51).
Up to 60% of patients experience “post-concussion syndrome” six-months to a year after they initially experience the concussion. These people say that they still have headaches, dizziness, mental confusion, and memory loss. They also state that they experience behavior changes, cognitive disabilities, depression, and emotional outbursts(Gillard 23). Post-concussion syndrome can cause cognitive impairments which can dramatically change their life. There is also studies that show that brain trauma can lead to addiction. “About five years ago (in 2003) the Mount Sinai team began looking at residents of New York centers for alcoholism and drug abuse. They evaluated 845 patients and determined that 54% had once suffered a hard blow to the head”(Gillard 91-92). Depression and hopelessness often occur due to the lingering headaches and memory loss. Many people are not very good at coping with the drastic life changes. Many family members also state that dealing with personality changes and behavior problems is almost as hard on them as it is for the person actual experiencing them. “The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that at least 5.3 million Americans suffer from mental/physical disabilities due to brain injury”(Gillard 86). Some concussions may also cause aphasia. Aphasia is when the person has difficulty understanding languages, including written language, body language, and even just emotional signals(Gillard 36). Research also states that any person that has already had a concussion is more susceptible for any other future concussions.
Since a concussion is a brain injury, more serious injuries are due to happen. Mayo Clinic states that people who have had a concussion double their risk of developing epilepsy up to five years after the injury(Parks 60). Head injury can also trigger Alzheimer's Disease which can be defined as a “neurodegenerative disease characterized by dementia, memory loss, and deteriorating cognitive abilities”(Gillard 35). Jim McMahon was a professional football player that was diagnosed with early-stage dementia by the age of fifty-three. McMahon will often forget his purpose for walking into a room and will get lost walking around his own house. McMahon suffered two concussions in only three days but stated that he had “only lost his memory”(McClafferty 36).
Research also states that some concussions can lead to death. The U.S. national registry shows that 9 deaths per year occur after a recent concussion(Bass 16). The American Association of Neurological Surgeons states that concussions and other traumatic brain injuries cause more than fifty thousand deaths each year(Parks 2). This information is not exact due to the fact that many concussions go undetected and unreported.
Concussions can cause a condition known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Dr. Harrison Martland is the medical examiner from New Jersey that found chronic traumatic encephalopathy, calling it “punch drunk”, back in 1928(Edwards 128). In the autopsies of some former athletes that have suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, cellular changes and anatomical changes have been found. They found that the brain had lost mass, the corpus callosum had become thinner, the ventricles had become enlarged, and the frontal lobe and temporal lobes had deteriorated. Dr. Martland also found that neurofibrillary tangles and neuropil threads were found consistently throughout the brain(Edwards 128). A history of repeated brain trauma causes an abnormal buildup of the tau protein. Tau is released when nerve cells break. The proteins build up and destroy cells throughout the brain. The part of the brain that is mainly affected is the part of the brain that controls impulse control, judgement, emotions, and memory(Parks 54).
Many football players and other athletes ignore their symptoms, and continue to play through their concussions. Second impact syndrome occurs whenever you sustain another concussion before your previous one heals. Second impact syndrome can be mainly caused due to the athlete not wanting to miss out on playing time and sit out for their injury to heal. “The Center for Disease Control counted 17 cases of SIS between 1992 and 1993, but experts believe that the tree numbers are higher”(Tyler 72). “The effects from second impact syndrome are because of an imbalance between fuel needs and fuel delivery”(Perriello 132). Second impact syndrome messes up how the blood flows to the brain. This causes the brain to swell which will lead to disabilities and even death. “Effects of SIS include physical paralysis, mental disabilities, and epilepsy. Death can occur approximately 50% of the time”(Tyler 72).
Jeff Beukeboom used to be a defenseman for a National Hockey League’s team the New York Rangers. Beukeboom played for 13 years in the league and claims that he suffered five to ten concussions during that time. Beukeboom’s last concussion was in February of 1999, however he still states that he has frequent headaches and a difficult time concentrating on conversations. Beukeboom also states that his everyday tasks are hard and that has a hard time recalling some information that he used to know. Beukeboom has three children and believes that these symptoms have made life difficult and have changed his life(Tyler 72).
Concussions are a very serious thing that shouldn’t be taken lightly. The effects of a concussion can last a while and can even alter the way you live your life. Concussions can cause many diseases especially if the concussion is left unreported. These are just some of the effects and symptoms that have been discovered so far. Research for concussions is ongoing and there is no telling what new things the researchers will find.
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