In the wake of Dave Mirra’s death no less than two weeks ago, I feel there is no better time to tell the people about Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). Dave Mirra suffered from this disease. Mirra was a BMX revolutionary and touched the lives of many aspiring young riders. At age 41 Mirra was found dead of apparent suicide after battling this disease for many years. He is survived by his wife, Lauren, and their two children. This disease is not something to take lightly. Unfortunately there is no way to diagnose it until the person who has it is already gone.
CTE is a progressive degenerative disease which afflicts the brain of people who have suffered repeated concussions and traumatic brain injuries, such as athletes who take part in contact sports, members of the military and others according to the Brain Injury Research Institute. The symptoms of CTE can be debilitating and may have life-changing effects for both the individual and his or her family. There is no current proven treatment to this disease because it is a degeneration of the brain
After receiving six concussions in a short three year period, this was something that hit home for me personally. Suffering from many of the symptoms of concussions for years after receiving them I felt I needed to educate myself. In doing so, I read hundreds of peoples' accounts of their experiences. Whether it was a personal battle or someone who fought the endless fight with a loved one, all of the stories have an unhappy ending. So what should we know about CTE?
1. There is No Prevention.
With all of the discussion about concussions out there it is causing a stir. Parents are pulling their kids out of contact sports to prevent CTE. The hard fact is that there is no stopping this disease. There are some who believe avoiding the contact sports will leave you safe and sound. Sadly, there is no preventing accidents. Living in a shell wont guarantee that this will not affect you. Say you do let your children take the risk of playing contact sports. What things should you know?
Researchers at Boston University have found 96% of ex-NFL players suffer from the disease. Why is this? In the days of smash mouth football, form and safety were not highly monitored. These statistics will scare almost every prospected parent. Fast forward to modern day. Safety and proper form are things all athletic coaches preach. The best way to prevent is to practice prevention. What does this mean? Practice proper techniques and use proper equipment when participating in contact activities. Telling you all of this is not meant to freak you out. Instead to make you aware of what is sweeping the athletic marketplace.
2. There is No Treatment.
Yes you read that heading right. There is no treatment to this disease because there is no way to diagnose it until it is too late. Along with a too late prognosis, there is also no way to cure it. CTE is a degeneration of the brain. When this happens, key brain cells that are important for things like memory and mental function are now dead brain matter. This being said what do you do? How do you know if CTE is effecting you and where do you go from there?
3. You Don’t Know You Have it Until You Are Gone.
After knowing all of the facts it is still a sobering fact that we don't know for sure it is present until it's too late. Luckily, there are tell-tale signs that can help us help those who suffer from CTE. So what do you look for? Some of the most common side effects include loss of memory, difficulty controlling impulsive or erratic behavior, impaired judgment, behavioral disturbances including aggression and depression, difficulty with balance, and a gradual onset of dementia. All of which are irreversible symptoms and are only treatable with medication to keep them in check.
This may be scary to think of. Being a new father to a beautiful little girl, it scares the heck out of my wife to think this could happen to me. So what can we do? We can help. Help those who exhibit symptoms and be there for them. Support is their biggest friend. You can be the difference between life and death for a friend or loved one. Know the facts and most importantly don’t stay silent.
