Many residents of Delaware likely played sports as a child or teenager; many may continue to engage in athletic activity as adults. As with every form of activity, though, sports can carry the risk of accidents. In some cases the injuries from such incidents are minor and quickly recovered from. In other cases, though, there may be severe injuries, including brain injuries, stemming from sports-related accidents.
It has often been thought that concussions, a type of head injury that often accompanies certain sports, were relatively harmless – or at least not to have long-term consequences. New research, though, has indicated that concussions may cause more damage than previously thought. The information comes from a Canadian medical journal and focuses on the long-term risks posed by concussions. The study showed, for example, that the risk of suicide for adults who have suffered at least one concussion is three times higher than it is for those who have never experienced the injury.
Interestingly, the study also shows that the risk of suicide is somewhat higher for those who suffered a concussion on the weekend rather than during the week. What this means is that concussions caused by recreation might be more damaging in the long run than those caused by occupations. A doctor and one of the study’s authors noted that his typical patient is not a top-level athlete but rather someone who suffered a car accident, a fall down some stairs or some other incident related to everyday activity.
Brain trauma is a serious concern for many accident victims, as the symptoms might not always appear right away. It may be possible for someone to be in a sports accident, car accident or other type of incident and walk away feeling okay, then later suffer symptoms of a head injury or even brain damage. Speaking with a qualified brain injury attorney after an accident may be a huge reassurance to Delaware accident victims.
Source: Salon.com, “Concussions can prove deadly: A single brain injury dramatically increases risk of suicide,” Jordana Cepelewicz, Feb. 15, 2016
