THE PROBLEM:
Problem:
Sports players, military, etc. are suffering short term and long term brain injuries from two types of head impacts.
THESE ARE COMMON OCCURRENCES.
Recommendations:
It is recommended that the reader watch the movie “Concussion” (again), search (Google) and study Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) brain damage.
Hard impact: CONCUSSION: THIS IS COMMON -
Sports players (and military, police and industrial) are suffering short term brain injuries (concussions) from hard head impacts. Usually from a hard fall, impact with an object such as a floor, or more commonly in sports, helmet to helmet impact.
Hard impact CONCUSSION:
Concussions are common, are generally diagnosed on site and there are concussion protocols to protect the injured until the symptoms pass. (but not the danger!) Players / the injured seldom retire from playing / employment after “excessive” (loose definition) concussions.
Such brain damage can be seen on MRIs etc. and verified in autopsies, etc. Concussions may lead to mental illness or early death.
Multiple, non-concussion“minor”/“ordinary” head impacts sustained normally-in-the-course of“normal activities”are leading to CTE
Sports players, police, military and industrial workers are suffering insidious long term brain injuries from normal “everyday” /“minor” /“common” / “usual” activity-related falls, collisions and impacts such as ordinary sports blocking.
Such repeated ‘normal’ small impacts accumulate and insidiously resulting in permanent, irreversible damage:
Over Time:
Over time and thousands of such “everyday”, “in the course of the game or daily activities”, impacts, EACH TIME a number of tiny blood vessels in the brain rupture with each impact – which cause tiny clots that block blood flow to groups of neurons; this will eventually accumulate and often results in mental illness.
These presence or extent of these CTE injuries cannot be detected except by autopsy at this time.
The Conclusion:
These sub-concussive hits to the head that do not cause any immediate symptoms are the most dangerous and insidious.
They demand a solution beyond observed concussion abatement.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_traumatic_encephalopathy
