Hard Knocks: Do We Really Understand the Extent of a Concussion?

It’s a question that any sportsman, regardless of their sport - from football to volleyball – should seriously ask themselves. Do you really understand what a concussion is, and what it can cause if left untreated or repeated time after time? It isn’t a sin to admit ignorance, but its damn near idiotic not to admit the injury.

What is a ‘Concussion’?

“A concussion is a disturbance of the nerve cells in the brain as a result of a blow to the skull”
Put simply, it’s the result of your brain smashing against your skull so hard it temporarily shuts parts of the brain down. So every concussion is serious, no matter how meager the hit may have seemed.

What are the symptoms?

Nausea (feeling that you might throw up)
Balance problems or dizziness
Headache
Double or fuzzy vision
Feeling groggy
Confusion
Concentration problems

These symptoms usually rear their heads in one go, with a sufferer usually seeming out of it and unable to recover fully. However, sometimes the effects can be less obvious to others, and in many cases, a concussion can go untreated due to embarrassment or simply not reading the signs clearly enough.

Worst Case Scenario - The End of the Spectrum

If you’ve been stuck underneath a rock for the past six months then you will have heard the coverage of the Benoit family tragedy. If you don’t know the story, go search for it, it isn’t nice, but the latest developments have brought authorities and the world a step closer to understanding why Chris Benoit did what he did. Other than his gross intake of anabolic steroids, a recent report showed Benoit was suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE): basically, Benoit had concussed himself so many times over his career that his brain resembled “that of an 85-year-old Alzheimer’s patient. And with NFL players dropping like flies from repetitive brain injuries and concussed-based suicides, the evidence has never been clearer.

So what does this mean to young sportsman?

At College and University level – and beyond – its unlikely we as sportsman are going to take the kind of punishment that a pro-linebacker or a pro wrestler would, but both cases above were and continue to be the result of one simple factor: not reading the signs, and not having the guts to act on them and avoid further injury. Any doctor will tell you a concussion is serious, two in a row is even worse, but three is damn near dangerous.

It’s drummed into our heads (no pun intended) at school that our brains and skulls are not fully strengthened until adulthood, hence many schools choosing to play more non-contact sports such as tag-rugby or touch-lacrosse. However, grown men can still suffer extensive problems from one or more concussions, depending on the severity of the hit. Of course, concussions are more likely in contact sports such as rugby, lacrosse and American football, and as hard as we try to be safe, concussions are always the painful by-product of accidental points of contact (such as making a rugby tackle across the body, only to have the ball-carrier’s knee strike you in the head).

Ultimately, some sportsman may never suffer a concussion in their life. Maybe they’re just a hard bastard, maybe they play their game so well then know how to avoid them, or maybe, and more than likely, they are just lucky. As with any sport, especially contact sports, taking and making a hit is part of the game, and we all put our bodies on the line every time we commit to one. The best advice I can give you is don’t be a tool, if you have suffered the symptoms you read earlier, especially on more than one occasion, then tell your coach, and better yet, tell your doctor.

Read the signs, and take the right steps.

D.R - Lincoln