Time to properly assess concussions and their symptoms

Editorial Board

Concussions.

Sports are riddled with them and MHS is no exception. Whether it be from banging helmets on the football field or knee-on-head contact during cheer practice, concussions are a serious danger to all athletes. When the soft tissue of the brain is knocked around in its surrounding spinal fluid, its impact with the skull can cause bruising, damage to blood vessels and injury of the nerves themselves. Such traumatic brain injuries can lead to some very harsh effects. Most notably, death. Just one concussion can change the functioning of someone’s brain forever.

Thus, it seems pretty ridiculous that we have such lax standards regarding actions taken after a concussion is sustained and that students tend to brush off symptoms just to ensure they don’t get benched.

While The Mentor editorial board agreed that preventing concussions to begin with would be the best reality, doing so is seemingly impossible if we wish to continue to take part in physical activity. So, it really comes down to proper regulations and the education of athletes, coaches, etc.

The stories of such students as Texas High schooler Cam’ron Matthews, who died after a football game in which he suffered a concussion, need to be made more prominent in the media and used as a cautionary tale.

With countless studies involving brain trauma, including the study of dead NFL players’ brains, showing that concussions themselves as well as their aftermath (normally further brain-related diseases) are deadly, we encourage all athletes to take serious precautions whenever they show symptoms of a concussion.

Making sure you play in the “big game” or competition might seem like the biggest moment of your life thus far, but your health is more important. There will always be another game, but you only have one life.