Concussion is a common sporting injury that's been thrown
in to the spotlight after Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris was allowed to play
on, after being knocked unconscious in a Premier League match last Saturday.
Some health experts have criticised the club for allowing him back on the field, saying it was too dangerous.
In many sports, where there is a lot of physical contact between players, there is a risk of hitting your head.
The impact of knocking your head can cause the brain to bump against the bone of the skull. It is this bump that causes concussion.
Concussion is most common in
boxing, skiing, rugby and football.
Symptoms include: loss of
consciousness, confusion, headaches, vomiting and feeling unsteady on your
legs.
Some of these symptoms do not
show immediately, so if you hit your head in a sports game, how much time should
you have to recover before you play again?
The rules vary among the
sports with a higher risk of head injury.
Rugby Union
Concussion is the most common
injury in professional Rugby Union.
When players collide, the
force on their body can be as intense as what the body experiences in a car
crash.
If a player is thought to
have concussion they are taken off the pitch for a concussion test.
The test includes questions
such as: what is the current score, and where is the game being played? This
tests their memory and whether the player is disorientated.
There is also a balance test
where the player is asked to walk in a straight line.
One failed question, four
balance errors and the presence of one or more symptoms means the player is
removed from the game.
If they pass the test then
they can return to play after just five minutes.
Some people think that five
minutes is not long enough. In the past a player suspected to have concussion
had to leave the pitch and take a week off.
Rugby League
In Rugby League players with
suspected concussion must leave the game and not return until they have done a
very specific test.
This test involves a deck of
cards and tests how the player is thinking.
The player must pass the test
before they can play again, this can be the next day, or after a few weeks.
Football
A Premier League rule says
that any player who has hurt their head must be examined by a doctor and
declared fit before he is allowed to continue playing.
If the player is taken off
for the whole game then he should not play for five days.
Every football club must have
a doctor on the bench who is trained in treating head injuries.
American Football (soccer)
In American Football
concussion injuries have cost the National Football League (NFL) a lot of money
in compensation payments.
The NFL had to pay £480m to
18,000 retired players and their families.
This money was to say sorry
for the number of concussed players over the years and to stop the players
taking them to court.
To prevent this happening
again, the NFL now has medical experts next to the pitch. The experts decide if
players need concussion tests during the game.
For every 1,000 hours of rugby there will be 5.1 instances of concussion.
Concusssion rules in rugby league and rugby union differ.
Tottenham keeper Hugo Lloris was allowed to carry on after being knocked out in
Sunday's 0-0 draw with Everton.
There is an ongoing concussion problem in America with American Football.
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