Injuries and Concussion Effects on a Person’s Life

The human body is a uniform and complex structure of interconnected organs and systems, so the deterioration in the functioning of one of its elements might trigger complications in other functions and organs. One of the most common injuries is a concussion which might occur due to traumatization of the head. Depending on the location of the injury, either posterior or anterior, the effects of the concussion on the brain might differ. However, the outcomes of concussion on the human body and life are inevitable and might unfold with time (Manley et al., 2017). Thus, it is imperative to know how common injuries like a concussion might affect the human body to be aware of possible far-reaching implications.

A concussion is an injury caused to the frontal or temporal lobes of the brain since it is the organ located in the cranial cavity. The direct impact of concussion on the brain parts is characterized by headache, impaired orientation, nausea, blurred vision, and similar symptoms that derive from the immediate traumatization of the brain. However, the systematic review conducted by Manley et al. (2017) demonstrates that concussions might have long-term effects on human life outside the areas of direct impact.

Indeed, concussion complications and outcomes reach a variety of systems in the body. Such areas as mental health, neurologic particularities, and cognitive functioning are indirectly impacted by concussion (Manley et al., 2017). The investigation of the health of professional athletes who frequently suffer from concussions shows that they are likely to have impaired cognitive performance, problems with memory, and develop depression. Moreover, the researchers suggest concussion might lead to “a neurological syndrome referred to as drunk punch syndrome, traumatic encephalopathy, dementia pugilistica, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and chronic progressive traumatic encephalopathy” (Manley et al., 2017, p. 969). Thus, the proposed argument on the far-reaching impact of concussions on other spheres of human life might be used as a compelling background for healthcare workers to screen concussion patients for indirect outcomes.

Reference

Manley, G., Gardner, A. J., Schneider, K. J., Guskiewicz, K. M., Bailes, J., Cantu, R. C., Castellani, R. J., Turner, M., Jordan, B. D., Randolph, C., Dvořák, J., Hayden, K. A., Tator, C. H., McCrory, P., & Iverson, G. L. (2017). A systematic review of potential long-term effects of sport-related concussion. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 51(12), 969-977.