The Hazards of Football Brain Injury
The world of football has come a long way over the past few decades with advancements in safety, playing styles, and technology. Of course, this hasn’t been without its significant risks. Football at its core is still a contact sport, requiring players to perform at a high physical level; this means that the potential for serious injuries, particularly head-related injuries, are always present. Laws, regulations, and equipment have been introduced to reduce the risk of football brain injuries, but the fact remains that such injuries are the leading cause of death among football players and occur regularly during games, often despite the best protections being used. In this article, we’ll look at what football brain injuries are, the potential impacts of these injuries, as well as the precautions and treatments that may be available.
What is a Football Brain Injury?
Football brain injuries refer to any type of brain trauma sustained while participating in a football game. The most common football brain injuries are concussions, but they can also include head trauma that jostles the brain within the skull, or even contact between the helmet and another player’s body part or the ground.
The Potential Impact of Football Brain Injuries
Unfortunately, the impact of football brain injuries can be devastating. They occur when the brain is unable to adequately process neurological signals, resulting in confusion, memory loss, cognitive impairment, and in some cases, death. Football brain injuries can also cause behaviour changes, personality shifts, motor coordination and balance problems, and depression. In more extreme cases, the brain can be injured so severely that it can no longer regulate its own motor functions, leading to paralysis, coma, and in rare cases, death.
Precautions to Reduce the Risk of Football Brain Injury
There are a few precautions players and teams can take to reduce the risk of football brain injury. Firstly, coaches and team medical staff should be made aware of the potential dangers posed by contact sports and the need to identify and assess possible football brain injuries early, before they can lead to long-term complications.
The use of proper protective equipment is key. Helmets are essential, and should be regularly inspected for damage or wear. Mouth guards and neck rolls can also help to protect the head and neck from jarring contact.
Players should also be aware of high-impact plays and be taught proper tackling and blocking techniques to minimize head contact. Players should also be conditioned to avoid dangerous plays that could potentially lead to head trauma.
Treatment for Football Brain Injury
The primary treatment for a football brain injury is rest and observation. It is important to note that, while not all head injuries result in a concussion, they should still be taken seriously and monitored, as they could indicate a more serious problem.
Immediate medical attention is required if the injured player has any of the following symptoms: loss of consciousness, confusion, dizziness, nausea, ringing in the ears, blurred vision, memory loss, headaches, or slurred speech. These symptoms should be monitored over several days, and any further instances should initiate a trip to the hospital for more intense examinations.
In case of concussion, further treatment may include rest and the avoidance of any activities that could aggravate the injury. Cognitive and physical therapies may be employed to help the player to regain any lost functions, depending on the severity and duration of the injury.
The dangers of football brain injury are real, and serious repercussions may occur if such injuries are not correctly monitored and treated. It is clear, then, that adequate precautions should be taken to reduce the risk of football brain injuries, and that players should be aware of the different symptoms of such injuries and seek prompt medical attention in the event of their occurrence. Fortunately, with the right protection and treatments, football brain injuries do not need to be a long-term problem.
