THE SERIOUSNESS OF SPORTS-RELATED CONCUSSIONS
He "got his bell rung." Most of us are familiar with the use of this phrase to describe someone who has suffered a concussion. A cute phrase for a potentially life-changing event. Recent data out of the NFL showed that the number of concussions reported during the 2010-2011 football season was up more than 20 percent from 2009 and more than 30 percent from 2008.
Repeated head trauma, such as concussions due to sports injuries, can result in chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. CTE has been found to cause symptoms similar to Alzheimer's Disease, including attention loss, confusion and poor judgment to name a few.
As a parent of a young child that loves playing football, these studies concern me. What can we do? The experts suggest that children playing contact sports, like football, not engage in tackling of any form. Even college and professional players should limit contact during practice so as to minimize head trauma. Great idea, but is it practical?
I am encouraged that the NFL has undertaken to investigate and report data related to concussions. Our children admire their sports heroes. The more that they do to promote awareness of head trauma, the better. I am also encouraged by the recent actions of Chicago City Council’s Finance and Education Committee. This month, the Committee agreed to remove water and sewer fee exemptions from schools that allowed injured athletes to prematurely return to the field.
As Chicago brain injury attorneys, we understand the long-term effects of head trauma. Contact us if you or some you know has suffered head trauma in a sports-related incident.
