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Concussions in the NFL
Concussions have long been part of the game, but there is more to a concussion than feeling dizzy and not remembering correctly.It is in the past decade that medical professionals and scientists have begun to take note of the seriousness of concussions in sports, specifically the NFL. A concussion occurs when a blow is taken to the head. It can cause minor symptoms such as headache, loss of memory, and loss of alertness. Concussions are a minor traumatic brain injury. However, recurring concussions can have dangerous lingering effects on one's brain. Severe head trauma from years of impact in the NFL can lead to serious long term issues such as CTE, depression, memory loss, alzheimer's, and general brain damage.

NFL Athletes At Risk
According to a study done by the "Neurology" journal, players with five or more concussions are at four times the risk for brain disease, specifically Alzheimer's (A1). Out of all professional sports, NFL players take on the most head trauma, and the most often. Multiple and severe blows to the head, even with proper medical attention, can be extremely dangerous. Athletic trainer Michael Owen claims that concussion testing is a critical aspect of the sport, but does not always effectively protect players from their vulneribility (B1). Some NFL players go their whole career without a single concussion, while others suffer from multiple a season. 20 years ago, we did not see this as an issue. But medical advances and new technology have begun to detect serious consequences. Amongst the most common long term complications is depression. The National Center for Biotechnology Information reports that NFL players do have significantly higher signs of cognitive depression than non athletes (C1). Depression is the most mild and least common complication that arises longterm, but there is a multitude of issue that may develop over time. The bottom line is that a scary amount of NFL athletes will develop neurological issues post career. According to Jason Brestlow's PBS article, an NFL lawsuit claims that "76 of 79 deceased NFL athletes had brain damage from playing in the league." (D1). The issue has yet to integrate into society, because to most, a concussion is nothing but a bump to the head.

CTE
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy is a less common but highly dangerous condition of the brain that can occur from severe and recurrent head trauma. It is recently being noticed in retired NFL athletes that suffered from concussions and head injuries. CTE is a progressive degenerative brain disease that destroys tissue in the brain and can cause damage in a number of areas such as emotion, processing, coordination, memory, and decision making. According to RN Hetal Patel, CTE is a disease that can be silent for a number of years, slowly degrading one or more specific areas of the brain, and is extremely hard to detect (E1). In the past 3 years, two NFL players, Javon Belcher and Paul Oliver, have committed suicide and have confirmed signs of CTE in their brain scans. Both of these recent tragedies have sparked concern in the league, as information about their neurological conditions, related to their time spent in the league, continues to come out. More lawsuits, including ones with upwards of 5,000 players, are targeting the organization for a lack of proper concern towards the issue.

Taking Action
With all of the new information and discovery at hand, action is being taken by not only the NFL, but those affected by serious concussion complications. The Huffington Post reports that a $765 million lawsuit has been filed by Paul Oliver's family, claiming that he did not recieve adequate medical attention in regards to his head trauma while playing for the San Diego Chargers (F1). The league has made several policy changes, with new rules prohibiting head to head contact by handing out penalties and hefty fines, upwards of $50,000. The league has begun to see a decrease in concussions and other head/neck related injuries. Public statements made by the league idicate the use of full time, unaffilliated doctors that specialize in concussion detection and treatment. In addition, the 2015 helmets are rumored to have remote sensors that can detect levels of head trauma to help staff determine whether or not a player is at risk by staying on the field.

Healy, Melissa. “Former NFL Players Found to Be at Greater Risk For Brain Disease.” Los Angeles Times. 5 September. 2012. Web. 29 September. 2014.

Depressive Symptoms and Concussions in Aging Retired NFL Players.” PubMed. National Center for Biotechnology Information, 28 August. 2013. Web. 28 September. 2014.

Breslow, Jason M. “76 of 79 Deceased NFL Players Found To Have Brain Disease.” PBS. WGBH Educational Foundation, 30 September. 2014. Web. 30 September. 2014. “Family of Former NFL Player Sues League Over His Suicide.” Huffington Post. 24 September. 2014. Web. 28 September. 2014