Topic > Concussion: The Truth Behind the National Controversy

In recent years, the increase in the number of concussions suffered by people under the age of 18 has simultaneously encouraged controversy. However, as pediatrician Stephen M. Rothman argues, this was a movement formed under false pretenses, as there is no way that the injuries suffered by young people are in any way comparable to those experienced by long-time professional athletes who do not take safety necessary precautions to avoid further head trauma. Furthermore, the evolution of the very definition of concussion has allowed this unnecessary reaction to continue. Firstly, Rossman says the rate at which students are being rushed into medical services which arguably exclude them from some of the healthiest activities people their age can participate in is a shame because of the overweight problem which still prevails in the country. Students are more encouraged to take unnecessary precautions due to insufficient standards evident at a professional level. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay For example, there are some precautionary methods that should be taken after a student has a concussion: “if the patient is still asymptomatic after two weeks, he or she can return to normal play. But if an athlete suffers two concussions in one season, has to miss the rest of the season and possibly return the following year” (Rothman, p. 1) Parents ironically react negatively to concussions, when professional concussions are never treated as they medically should . Professionals are often urged to return to the field as soon as possible, which could worsen their injuries and lead to chronic problems for their later years. As long as students take precautions by remaining inactive after concussion to demonstrate that their injuries are asymptomatic, everything should go well as expected. Second, the concussions that kids get from playing sports in the short time they have are completely on the other end of the spectrum from professionals who have suffered worse injuries. This problem is compounded by the fact that the term concussion has evolved over the years. In 1977, a concussion was understood as something that was experienced by someone who lost consciousness. However, in 2013, the term was used whenever any of the symptoms such as “headache, amnesia, and sensitivity to light and sound, but not necessarily loss of consciousness” occurred. “ (Rothman, pg. 1) in other words, the public reaction to the increase in concussions over the years has been due to this change in definition. So while the number of concussions hasn't necessarily increased over time, it appears that they have. As a result, people have become more concerned about a topic to an unnecessary extent. In conclusion, Rothman's article urging parents to worry less about concussions suffered by their children is accurate. Because young athletes cannot be compared to experienced ones due to less time spent playing and the harsher quality of their injuries, and also because the definition of concussion has changed in recent decades, it is foolish to perpetuate this frenzied reaction. Instead, those involved should see whether or not the impact of the blow caused serious trauma by waiting to see whether or not symptoms appear within the first 2 weeks. During this.