You can add the National Hockey League (NHL) to the list of professional sports organizations now faced with growing evidence that the head injuries that are accepted as part of their sport are indeed causing serious, long-term cognitive and emotional problems in players. We've know the health risks of repeated head trauma to boxers for quite some time. Recently, the National Football League has been grappling with questions of responsibility and accountability for head trauma on the football field.
This week, The New York Times reported that former NHL player Reggie Fleming had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (C.T.E.), a type of brain damage caused by repeated head trauma. Fleming, who died in July, was the first hockey player known to have been tested for the disease.
Dr. Ann McKee, a neuropathologist at Boston University who has also diagnosed C.T.E. in several former N.F.L. players, summed up the issues by saying what we all probably could guess, "Repetitive head injuries can have very serious long-term consequences, regardless of how you get them." If you play any sports with a risk of head trauma, be sure to take the necessary precautions to avoid becoming another head injury statistic. All experts agree that wearing safely equipment, such as a helmet and mouth guard, can reduce the risk of serious head injuries.
More about Head Injuries
- Head Injury First Aid
- What is a Concussion?
- Serious Effects of Mild Concussions
- Girls Suffering More Concussions in High School Sports
- Link Between Concussions and Depression
- Concussion Symptoms and Treatment
- Recurrent concussions may increase the risk of clinical depression
- New Guidelines for Head Injury and Concussion in Youth Sports
