Concussions, they are a problem that almost every athlete that competes in a contact sport goes through. Football, hockey players, and boxers usually can recognize a mild concussion by what they call "Seeing lights," or "Hearing bells." Even though there are 250,000 concussions that occur each year in football concussions also happen frequently in cycling, gymnastics, and even swimming. So it is important to understand what a concussion is and how we can determine the severity of a concussion.
             There are several different ways to determine how severe a concussion or head injury is. But the most commonly used system is the Colorado Medical Society's Guidelines of the Management of Concussions in Sports. This system provides the person examining a athlete who has developed a head injury, an accurate way to determine when that athlete can get back to competitive play. This system has a three step grading system of concussions. Each grade can show an examiner just exactly how badly an athlete's head has been injured and just what kind of treatment that athlete will need.
             In a Grade I Concussion, or mild bruising of brain tissue, we find the most common form of a concussion. Though this type of concussion is usually not the most severe it is however, the hardest to determine. Most athletes will compare it to, "Having your bell rung," some players will simply, "Shake it off," and continue to play, while others appear to be confused or, "Out of it," as some will say. During a Grade I Concussion an athlete does not lose consciousness and will usually remember events that take place after the initial impact. The athlete should be removed from competition for at least 20 minutes and examined every 5 minutes to rule out the development of post concussive symptoms. Symptoms will usually include headaches and dizziness but once a player shows no symptoms while competing un...