A concussion is the temporary unconsciousness caused by a blow to the head. Under this blow to the head, the brain makes contact under force with the inside of the cranial wall. This creates a wound on the brain which causes the concussion and depending on the severity. There are numerous effects it can have on your health including short term effects such as temporary loss of consciousness, delayed response, and ringing in your ears. There are also several dangerous and permanent long-term effects which can impact one’s life dramatically following a concussion including trouble concentrating, memory problems, and sensitivity to light and noise. A concussion, depending on the severity, can vary in the time it takes to heal. Very minor concussions can take around one week to heal while major ones can take several months. With new statistics and research coming out daily on concussions, controversy is caused over the seriousness of concussions in football and if careful enough protocol is taken to prevent and handle concussions. In my opinion, I feel that concussions are very dangerous to a person. Now, I am not saying that sports should be avoided completely, but there is definitely a lot that can be changed to make it a lot safer for the players. These changes can include researching new and better equipment to better the protection given to the players. With these changes it would help on the field due to reducing the impact force delivered to the players on the field. While on field helps, there can be more done, for example there can be a rule change to the game which would help keep the players safer by reducing the hits they are able to take on the field. Furthermore, in lacrosse, changes have been made on high school levels that make the head of the stick (netted part of the lacrosse stick) wider in order for it to be easier for the opponent to knock the ball out reducing the physicality of the sport significantly. Lastly, there is research already taking place in order to help treat concussions in players. This type of research can include looking towards the path of medical marijuana in order to help players recover quicker from concussions so that they are able to get back to their normal lives.

In conclusion, concussions are very dangerous to the receiver and can cause permanent brain damage to one if not treated properly. There can be much more done by sports programs and medical officials in terms of rule changes, medical research, and proactiveness to treat players on the field. If this is achieved, players will be much safer, have less of a liability/risk of serious long term brain issues, and able to play the sports they love for a longer period of time.