A concussion is a bruise to the brain caused by your brain hitting your skull with significant force. Too many concussions can cause diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and CTE. The effects of concussions can be seen in former NFL players, who have pushed major universities and organizations to work to limit the number of concussions in sports. “A concussion is a bruise to the brain caused by a sudden blow to the head” (Powell). Symptoms within minutes of a concussion are blurry images, seeing two of everything, seeing a bright light, memory distortion and there can be huge shooting pain. After the searing pain “…a wake-up call… You asked what happened and someone explains the injury with a cute euphemism. You rang the bell…reassured that you were getting back into action” (Powell). Once re-entered into the game, the chances of a repeat episode just increased. The risks of long-term brain damage have also increased. Concussions can also cause changes in brain structure and the density of the brain's white matter. MRI can detect changes in the white matter of the brain, but it is very limited. If you see changes in the brain that an MRI can detect, that's very concerning (Healy). Contact sports players also performed worst on tests of verbal learning and memory than any other non-contact sport. There are also other major symptoms that are major diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and CTE. The effects of too many concussions are Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and CTE. Alzheimer's disease is a form of dementia that gets worse over time and affects memory, thinking and behavior. Parkinson's disease is a muscular disorder caused when nerve cells in the brain no longer function...... middle of paper ......ns, and he believes it is mostly severe forms of concussions cerebral (Farmer). “Merril Hoge, a running back with the Steelers and Bears, left midway through the 1994 season. Veteran quarterback Chris Miller suffered five concussions over a 14-month period and will take a sabbatical this season” , (Farmer). Concussions threaten the lives of all players, but they are studied and scientists are using new data to find ways to prevent concussions. Concussions have been proven by former players, their doctors and current research to cause major mental illnesses as organizations and universities create rules and regulations to prevent as many concussions as possible. One possible way to prevent concussions is to teach children from a young age how to handle them the right way. By teaching them from a young age, taking the right path becomes a habit.