Have you ever played the fastest and hardest hitting sport in the world? I have. Ever since I was 10 years old I have played ice hockey. It was a rush of adrenaline to skate into opponents and use my body to gain positioning on the rink. Even though it was fun did it leave a lasting impression on our bodies? Many people think so, in the form of a concussion. A concussion can occur when the brain is jostled in the skull and has bruised or damaged itself from quick movements. This can cause the owner to have many side effects such as:
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Lack of Concentration
- Blurred Vision
I am speaking of this from personal experience throughout my years of playing. I was never diagnosed, but the side effects were clear and visible in other players as well. As a child you don’t recognize some of these things, as I remember thinking that I am probably just getting sick. Someone who loves the game would do anything to be able to play every game, so that meant playing “sick”.
This is extremely worrisome because the younger a player is, the less developed their brain is. This raises concerns of permanent damage or disabilities. The children who play the sport are unaware of what could be happening, so with a little education could we stop this from occurring so frequently? Could this be causing memory lose or raising the potential for risky behavior later in life?
Sources:
https://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/Hockey-Programs/Safety/Concussions/Facts-and-Prevention
Picture:
http://jeffshockeyopinions.blogspot.com/
Though I did not play Ice Hockey because it isn’t such popular sport in Oregon, we had a big issue with concussions in my high school. I remember several girls getting concussed one year on my soccer tea, and again on my lacrosse team. The concussion test is very hard, but it gives us a solid base line as to whether or not these teens should continue to play. I am grateful for the medical advancements that have improved our knowledge of concussions. I also think ice hockey is awesome so that’s cool that you played!
I don’t know if you have seen this movie, but it is a great one. Here is the link to the movie trailer for Concussion. Check it out!
I wrote an article related to concussions in terms of the effect football helmets on these concussions. I am curious if hockey helmets are being looked researched as much as football helmets are. Are hockey helmets helping to reduce the risk of concussion? Something that would be interesting to look into.