Sport

What is a concussion
A concussion is a condition that suddenly alters the movement of the brain. It results from a brain injury that may cause a violent movement of the brain in the skull. These sudden violent movements may bruise, twist or shake the brain thus interfering with the mental status of a person. In this shake up, brain tissues are damaged and the membranes, blood vessels and nerves are torn. The aftermath of the concussion however depends on how extensive the injury was (Cunha, 2010).

What causes concussions
Concussions may be experienced as a result of accidents that may injure the brain due to the impact of a knock on the head. The knocks that cause concussions are experienced from the impact of blunt forces. These accidents may be as a result of the head being struck with a blunt object, a car accident or a heavy fall. In other cases, concussions may be caused by severe distress caused by a traumatic experience. This head injury is normally of a closed nature as the skull does not break in most cases. An open injury refers to the one whereby the skull breaks. In this case, other visible injuries that may lead to bleeding are ruled out as concussions (Cunha, 2010).

Signs and symptoms of concussions
People suffering from concussions will exhibit symptoms and signs such as memory loss, confusion and unconsciousness. Other signs and symptoms may include headaches, a blurred vision and slurred speech. Other people may experience dizziness, nausea and confusion. It becomes increasingly difficult for the infected person to coordinate or balance themselves in all aspects. These people will be continually anxious and they will tend to become tired very fast and out of light tasks. Making decisions becomes a task for the affected persons and they experience difficulty when thinking. Severe concussions may involve seizures, vomiting as well as a memory loss that is prolonged. Other symptoms that characterize severe concussions include visible head bruises and a fractured skull. It is important to note that concussions are not necessarily life threatening though they bring along problems. These problems may either be long term or short term depending on the intensity of the injury (Drake, 2007).

Types of concussions
Mild concussion
Mild concussions refer to the brain injuries that are not severe. In this case, the injured person may become slightly unconscious. They will feel a bit dazed for a short while after which they will regain consciousness. Other people may not exhibit any knocked out (Cunha, 2010).

Severe concussion
Severe concussion as the name depicts are more serious and the injured person may loose consciousness for a long time. It will take a long while before the person regains consciousness. (Cunha, 2010).

How to diagnose and treat a concussion
The first step towards treating concussions is seeking immediate attention from a physician who will be able to differentiate a concussion from another severe brain injury. A doctor will be better placed to diagnose the problem with the infected person. People who have suffered head injuries from sporting activities, car accidents or huge falls must be taken to the hospital immediately. The medic first seeks to establish how the injury occurred and since this condition is associated with memory loss, questions such as what year the accident happened are asked. This helps the physician to tell if the patient has suffered a memory loss. The other procedures that the medic will carry out on the person will test for hearing, vision and reflex problems. Coordination will also be screened as part of the neurological exam. The medic may also find it important to run scans such as an MRI or a CT scan. These scans are done in a bid to test the extent of internal bleeding if any (Drake, 2007).

Monitoring the affected person also helps in gauging the extent of the concussion. It also helps in the healing process and it ensures that the person regains the lost senses. Doctors will mostly send the person home and instruct their care giver to monitor how they are responding since the concussion occurred. One of the treatments that a medic will prescribe is the monitoring of the laid out symptoms. This helps them analyze the extent of the injury. They may also require that the person be woken up in regular intervals during their sleep. This helps in ensuring that the persons normal consciousness is coming back to them (Drake, 2007). The doctor may at times recommend hospitalization for a few days for closer monitoring by the medical personnel. This may take a couple of days since depending on the intensity of the head injury, the symptoms may be varied. Other people may not experience any change in them resulting from the injuries sustained. This could be risky as the damage may have already established itself. Another reason why monitoring by medical personnel is useful is because concussions may not be detected easily.  It is advisable for the affected person to keep off from any activity that may cause further injury. It is very dangerous for a person to suffer another concussion before the initial one heals completely. The treatment administered for concussions includes relaxation, rest and pain-relieving medication where necessary. However, severe cases may require drastic measures (Drake, 2007).

Home treatment for a concussion
It is sometimes inevitable to opt for home treatment. Home treatment or self treatment requires knowledge that helps in curbing the effects of concussions. It could also be a first aid procedure. Incase one is suffering from a bleeding scalp, a bruise will show. This bruise is otherwise known as a hematoma. This should not cause alarm as it disappears shortly. To reduce the swell, it is highly recommendable to use ice on the bruise. This ice must never be applied directly as it may be uncomfortable for the victim. Wrapping the ice in a cloth and placing it on the hematoma will work perfectly. This treatment is not restricted to ice. Frozen vegetables also offer the same remedy. They even work better as they offer a larger surface area that will cover the head well. This treatment must be administered for up to 30 minutes to ensure that cooling takes place. This should be done repeatedly in intervals of four hours. However, this treatment maybe futile if it is past 48 hours since the accident occurred (Cunha, 2010).

Classification system for concussions
Concussions are classified in accordance to their severity. Currently, five grades are used in this classification system as follows the grade I concussion is the least severe one in these classifications. A person suffering from a grade I concussion will experience minor symptoms. The major symptom is a short state of confusion.

This may pass unnoticed and many people are not even aware that they have suffered it at a point in their lives. A person struck by the grade II concussion will experience symptoms whose life is up to five minutes. These symptoms may include confusion and memory loss among the others aforementioned. In the grade III concussion, the person will suffer memory loss and confusion for more than five minutes. Other symptoms as listed earlier may accompany them. Grade IV concussions involve loss of consciousness for up to ten minutes. The other minor symptoms may accompany this state. In the Grade V concussion, the person becomes unconscious for ten minutes and over and exhibits all the other aforementioned symptoms (Drake, 2000).

The classification system helps people determine how long the affected person will take to recover. This also helps them take the necessary action towards the treatment of the person. Studies conducted on brain injuries have shown that the intensity of the concussions depends on the location of the injury. The front part of the brain gives fewer problems as compared to the right, left and back part of the brain. A condition otherwise known as post concussion syndrome is present in many people. This is the period whereby the concussion symptoms are still present many months after the injury. These symptoms include confusion and loss of memory among the other concussion symptoms. Depending on how long these symptoms linger, the doctor will administer the right prescription that may include rehabilitation therapy (Drake, 2000).

Concussions in hockey
Many hockey players have been unfortunate to suffer from concussions.  Hockey is a risky game and most of them get their heads butted by the blunt hockey sticks as well as hard falls. These being the primary causes for concussions, their lives are constantly in danger. Many hockey players suffer from concussions on a regular basis. Clinical depression is one of the conditions that hockey players suffer. This is occasioned by the several numbers of concussions they suffer. Another condition common with hockey players is cognitive impairment which has slowed down their thought process. This condition is similar to the famous Alzheimers disease which has similar effects on the brain (Nicholson, 2009).

The golden rule for treating hockey concussions
To fully recover from a concussion, the affected person must follow a routine rule to ensure that they are completely healed. A hockey player must never venture back to the sport until they are given a clean bill of health. This is necessary and failure to meet this condition may lead to more severe problems. A person recovering from a concussion may be slow and clumsy due to the effects of this condition. This is very risky to the player as well as his mates in the field. He could end up getting a worse injury or causing a life threatening injury to his mates. The post concussion syndrome may also affect the player who has not fully recovered and this could bring more health problems. Another condition known as the second impact syndrome may make the previous injury worse. This may lead to a brain swell on second impact and this is very dangerous to the life of the hockey player (Bye, 2010).

Follow up on concussions
Victims of concussions will have to attend follow-up clinics as recommended by their doctors.  Neurologists are best placed for these follow ups due to their diverse knowledge in the treatment and recovery from head injuries. Follow ups in the treatment of concussions are vital since some symptoms do not register themselves until much later. Not all symptoms and signs may show and people may tend to indulge in sporting activities when they have not fully recovered. This is suicidal as there is a high risk of a multiple concussion. Other people may ignore subtle symptoms like a headache or a slight memory loss. Other symptoms that people may tend to ignore include changes in their personalities as well as their cognitive abilities. This may in turn be detrimental and causes the victim more harm (Cunha, 2010).

Long term effects of concussions
Some of the long-term effects of concussions include memory loss and unconsciousness. This condition is prone in cases whereby a sportsman suffers from recurrent concussions. As concussions are cumulative, people who have suffered from them before are more liable to getting others in future. These people may thereby be susceptible to long term effects of concussions. They may suffer from neurological disorders which will include memory loss which is long-term as well as other psychiatric disorders. Other persons who do not have a concussion history may be exempted from these long term effects. Severe brain injury has been reported in persons who go back to their sporting activities before they are fully healed. This affects the persons overall performance and this includes slowness in thinking and responding to situations. Researchers have been working hard to measure the long-term effects of concussions. This has birthed an Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) computer program. This program is for use by the sportsmen and it tests their reaction time, memory and processing speed. The National Hockey League (NHL) has adopted this program and uses it t test its players (Quinn, 2010).

Short term effects of concussions
When a concussion occurs, the affected person may experience subtle symptoms which will disappear with time depending on the extent of the injury. This condition is referred to as the post concussive syndrome. Some of the short term effects of concussions include a headache. The injured person may suffer from a headache for up to two weeks. This headache will however disappear after taking a painkiller. Some of these painkillers include Advil, Tylenol or Motrin. Confusion also occurs in the short term and the victim will soon regain normality. In other cases, the affected person may vomit or feel nauseated for some time. These symptoms however disappear with time. The victim may also suffer from a short memory loss whereby they fail to remember how and where they got hurt. They may also perseverate for sometime but this disappears after a short time. It is important to note that recovery from these symptoms will vary with the intensity of the head injury (Cunha, 2010).

Prevention for short and long term affects of concussions
It is important to protect oneself against unforeseen dangers when sporting. In hockey, proper care must be taken for the head in order to prevent injuries which may lead to a concussion. A helmet is highly recommended in hockey since head injuries are very prominent either out of falls or being hit with the hockey stick. Wearing the right shoes for the right sport is very important. Many concussions have been reported out of wrong sporting shoes. The player thus slips and falls and ends up hurting the head and concussions could occur. The right shoes will prevent the player from accidental falls thus keeping head injuries at bay. Concussions are bound to occur at a point since sometimes accidents just can not be prevented. Hockey players need proper training on first aid skills necessary for a person suffering from a concussion. This will enable them treat their team mates and thus prevent further damage. The primary first aid measures for a person suffering from a concussion include keeping them talking and awake. Slipping into sleep may cause further damage to the persons neurological activities (Contributor, 2010).

It is vital to ensure that the injured person does not move at all. This will help keep them together thus limiting the possibility of suffering further harm. An ambulance must then be called urgently as it is important to seek a diagnosis as well as treatment from a professional. Loosing consciousness is significant with concussions and any person suffering from such a condition as a result of a head injury must be taken to hospital at once. A mild concussion allows a player to go back to the sport in a weeks time. This is because mild concussions heal quickly and the effects are easily contained. The disappearance of the symptoms is a clear indication that one can go back to play. Lingering symptoms however need more monitoring since they indicate that the person is still unwell. Placing this person under a doctors supervision is greatly recommended (Contributor, 2010).

Efforts being made by the National Hockey League (NHL) to curb concussions
The National Hockey League (NHL), the official governing body for hockey has not been left behind in fighting concussions amongst its hockey players. It is however a difficult fight since head shots elimination is an uphill task. These headshots define the game of hockey and doing away with them or limiting them would be translated to killing the game. Colin Campbell, the hockey operations director said, and I quote, Its not hits to the head, its shoulder hits to the head, shoulder hits have accounted for many head injuries which have led to concussions. Their elimination will lead to a lower number of hits to the head. This move will however give a dull game since most of the shoulder hits on the contrary account for great hits which lead to record wins. This was his response to the many efforts that NHL is making towards the reduction of concussion cases in their players (Shoalts, 2010).

One key move that the league has made is the elimination of head shots which play a key role in head injuries thus concussions. The NHL has also ensured that a set of rules that forbid illegal head contacts among the players are in place. One of the NHLs rules has banned the making of hits using the elbow. These rules have however been faced with controversy since some faults have not been penalized. The NHL has promised its players and fans that rules curbing head injuries will be in place. This league has been working on concussion reductions for 20 years now and they are positive that hockey will become a safe sport in the near future. The directors of the league however admit that it will not be easy as disagreements on the right measures are many but they remain positive that they will reach a consensus. This will definitely see to it that head injuries are reduced and this will bring the numbers down. The committee also warns its players to be careful as this is a physical game and this makes them prone to injuries (Shoalts, 2010).

Conclusion
Concussions in hockey are common and their elimination as stated by the National Hockey League (NHL) is next to impossible (Shoalts, 2010). However, with proper care on the part of the sportsmen and their managers, they can be averted. Dressing right for the game is vital and so is following the laid down rules and regulations. Wearing of helmets to protect the head is a step towards reducing the impact of the falls and hits the players suffer while in play. Using the right shoes for the game is also vital as incidences of slipping and getting a head injury are limited (Contributor, 2010).

The NHL is also putting its foot forward to ensure that the players play right and get punished for dangerous fouls. This makes them more careful and disciplined (Shoalts, 2010). From this research, it is important to note that concussions can be prevented and treated when they occur. Prevention is however better than cure and players must be well armed with tips on how to stay clear of head injuries. First aid measures for concussions are also in place and they prevent further harm to the victim.

For those suffering from long term effects of concussions, all is not lost since they can be put under therapy which will help them go back to their normal lives (Cunha, 2010). Innovations like the introduction of the ImPACT computer program is an asset to the National Hockey League (NHL) as monitoring of the players is possible. This helps in determining how fit they are to play and how prone they are to concussion attacks. This enables the team managers make informed decisions when selecting their teams. Hockey players need be informed that concussions are not life threatening and that they will be able to get over their short term and long term effects. They should therefore soldier on and live their passion to the fullest with a positive mind.