The Risk of Concussion in Sports - Assignment Example

The injury can occur as a result of a direct or indirect blow to the head. All components of the brain such as cerebral cortex and brainstem are suspended in an aqueous solution called cerebrospinal fluid. When a blow is inflicted on the head, the force causes these structures to shake or compress against the skull bone. This can either cause a direct injury to the brain to produce swelling or formation of a hematoma (blood clot) that compress over different brain structures (Starkey, 2013). Concussion may or may not be associated with loss of consciousness.

Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, headache, unsteady gait, photophobia, retrograde amnesia and disorientation of other neurological functions. There are four gradings of concussion depending on signs and symptoms of the patient (Barry, Dillingham and McGuire, 2002). When the severity of damage to the brain tissue is more, a patient presents with more deteriorating signs and symptoms and graded high on the grading scale. Management and rehabilitation plan also depends on the severity or grading and the frequency of head injury.

As the injury is internal, much focus is on rest during the rehabilitation process for healing. Sports players are asked to abstain from contact activities to prevent any superimposed injury that can result in “second impact syndrome” (Barry, Dillingham and McGuire, 2002).