Knockouts

The Knockout

Let's face it, the knockout is the biggest reason we watch boxing in the first place. We want to see that big punch that knocks one of the contenders to the floor, out cold and twitching. Boxing stats keep track of them, and fans love them. So what exactly is one?

A knockout, by definition, is a concussion. The brain sits within the rigid shell of the skull surrounded by fluid. When the head receives a blow, the brain can slam against the skull which can result in bleeding, scarring, twisting of structures in the brain, and so on. All things which aren't very good. When brain tissue dies, unlike other tissues in the body, it is dead for good, it will not regenerate. Thus, boxer's who receive a lot of trauma to the head will eventually experience inhibited mental functions - in other words, they get stupid.

"Punch drunk" or "Dementia Pugilistica" is the result of a career of blows to the head. Symptoms include varying degrees of speech difficulty, stiffness, unsteadiness, memory loss, and inappropriate behaviour. An early sign of the condition is a severe susceptibility to alcohol. Inappropriate behaviour and trouble with the law can follow due to fewer social inhibitions. (is anyone thinking of Mike Tyson yet?) Studies have shown a direct correlation between the number of professional bouts a boxer has and the amount of brain damage they have. (more bouts = more hits to the head). However, some boxers go their whole careers and do not experience the symptoms - George Foreman took a myriad of punches, maybe more than anyone else and he is doing just fine selling grills. On the other side of the coin is Joe Lewis.

Knockouts or concussions are based on a graded scale describing their severity:

1. Grade 1 - Person does not lose consciousness but may seem dazed.
2. Grade 2 - Person does not lose consciousness, but shows confusion and loss of memory recall of the event.
3. Grade 3 - most severe, classical knockout. The boxer does lose consciousness, and has no memory of the event. This boxer needs to see a doctor ASAP.

Symptoms of a Concussion - Knockout

Obviously, if the boxer loses conciousness, he has been knocked out and has experienced a Grade 3 concussion. People were there, saw it, and a doctor will treat it. That is all fine and dandy, but what about the other 2 grades. How many times have amateur or professional boxers been hit in training, suffered a less severe concussion and didn't know it? Well, here are the symptoms to watch out for:

• severe headache
• dizziness
• vomiting
• increased size of a pupil
• sudden weakness in an arm or leg
• may have memory loss or seem forgetful

Of particular concern if you or someone you know has suffered a blow to the head, keep an eye on them. As the brain swells, they could become drowsy or confused. If they are difficult to awaken or suddenly pass out, they need to get to a doctor immediately.

Treatment

There is nothing really specific you can do to treat a concussion. Generally, you must carefully watch the patient for changes, be they levels of consciousness, drowsiness, confusion and the other symptoms listed above. If the concussion is severe, they should be admitted to hospital for observation. Surgery is only required in the most severe of cases which leads to a brain hemorrhage. This is what you hear most boxers dying of.

Symptoms may persist for quite some time which is known as post-concussion syndrome. Symptoms of this include:

• persistent headache
• dizziness
• irritability
• memory changes
• vision changes
• person may seem emotional/unable to control emotions
• unexplained depression
• problems concentrating or thinking ahead

These symptoms can begin to appear weeks or months after the initial injury. Recovery from brain injuries takes a long, long time and may require a rehabilitation program supervised by a professional.

On a sidenote, many people have the belief that there is a link between boxing and Parkinson's Disease (mainly because of the state Muhammad Ali is in), however, scientific studies do not support this. Boxing damage results in an Alzheimer's like disease. The mind is clouded. Muhammad Ali, on the other hand is still sharp.

Conclusion

Studies have shown that boxers with more than 50 professional bouts have brain damage. As many as 15-40% of ex boxers have been estimated to have brain damage. So, should you give up the sport?

Hell no.

Just be wise about it. Unless you are boxing professionally, wear headgear when you are in the ring. Use a mouthguard and perfect your defense in addition to your offense so you don't get hit as hard or as much. You are still going to get punched in the head, you can never avoid them all, but with a little bit of skill and some common sense, you can minimize the chance of suffering a severe concussion and turning yourself into a slurring, drooling idiot somewhere down the road. Know your limits and fight within them.

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