Head, eye, and body damage from boxing

Muhammad Ali is renowned for many things, from his showman style of boxing, to his stoicism in the face of adversity, and his mind-blowing right hook. The Legend went on to develop Parkinson’s later in life because of the physical trauma his head received throughout his life, or at the very least, antagonised a pre-existing condition. His tragic ending gave rise to the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act that seeks to minimise the dangers of the sport. This week, in a concerted effort to maximise safety within the sport we are going to focus on how you can honour the greats by staying safe in the ring.

It goes without saying that any activity that involves blows to the body, and especially the head, is high-risk. This means that boxing can have serious effects on the health of most people who are involved in the sport, and this goes especially for men. The American Association of Neurological Surgeons say that around 90% of boxers at some stage sustain a brain injury of some kind as any blunt trauma to the head can damage the surface of the brain.

The punches boxers spend most of their time perfecting are not usually going to knock someone out, except for in rare and bizarre circumstances, and that is the jab. Jabs are great for set ups and counter-attacked but aren’t exactly “haymakers”. Your brain sits suspended in fluid, when your head whips around, the brain whips around too which means the tissue stretches and compresses. This trauma leads to concussion. Repeated concussions over time eventually lead to serious brain damage, and this has been shown time and time again. Concussion is currently a huge theme in the current sporting climate, with many contact and impact sports focusing on ensuring sportspeople are safe.

What should you do if you become concussed? It depends on the severity of the concussion. Sometimes concussions need emergency treatment and sometimes it will be minor, either way – you need to have specialists around to ensure no long-term damage is done. Signs of concussion usually appear within a few minutes or hours of a head injury – occasionally, they won’t be obvious for a few days, so it’s important to look out for any problems in the days following a head injury.

Symptoms include

Dizziness

Headache’s that aren’t relieved with painkillers

Feeling sick or vomiting

Confusion

Changes in vision

Trouble with balance

Memory loss

If you suffer one or more of these symptoms are a blow to the head, then you should consider it a priority to speak with your coach or anyone nearby as you are at high-risk of long term damage.

If you have suffered from concussion and would like to contact one of Mount Sinai’s dedicated teams, please contact our switchboard at (212) 241-6321