Aussie Will Pucovski retired at 27 due to concussions. What actually is a concussion and how does it affect the brain

Australia batter Will Pucovski announced his retirement on Tuesday (Apr 7) from cricket. He is just 27. The decision came on the back of multiple hits he took on the head while batting. He was concussed more than 10 times during his career.

The batter last played any form of cricket in March 2024 when another hit by the ball on his head made him quit the match and doctor advised him to retire from the game altogether.

In a conversation with SEN radio, Pucovski explained what difficulties he's facing after multiple concussion.

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"I really struggle with things on my left side. If I have things happening on my left I feel sick and dizzy. I struggle with motion sickness. My family and friends have noticed a difference in me and that's scary for me and for them," Pucovski said.

What exactly is a concussion?

A concussion can be described as a traumatic brain injury (TBI) which causes temporary, and in some cases, prolonged loss of normal brain function. In medical terms, a concussion is 'clinical syndrome characterized by immediate and transient alteration in brain function, including alteration of mental status or level of consciousness' as stated on American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) website.

How does a concussion occur?

A concussion is a result of mechanical force or trauma to the brain. The force could be an object hitting the head or vice-versa. For eg, a head-first fall on a hard concrete floor, leather ball hitting the head at speed, athletes bumping heads into each other (as seen in National Football League in the USA) and others.

How does a concussion affect the brain?

The best way to explain how a concussion affects the human brain could be taken from a 2015 movie with the same name. Hollywood actor Will Smith played the role of Nigerian-American doctor Bennet Omalu who studied the link between effect of concussion resulting from repeated hits athletes took in NFL.

Omalu, Smith's character in the movie, took an apple and put it in a glass jar with filled half to 3/4th with water. He then held the jar horizontally to the ground and shook it at intervals. After some time, the hard apple became loose on the surface with its skin coming off and subsequently the pulp inside started coming out in pieces as well.

Omalu said in the scene: "Human brain is like the apple, in a liquid (called cerebrospinal fluid, water in this case)) and is not in direct contact with skull (glass jar)."

By shaking the glass jar, Omalu tried to replicate the hits athletes took in NFL while playing the high contact sport and just like the apple became loose and the pulp started coming off, brain gets injured with neurons getting damaged and blood starts coming out like in any other injury in body.

What are the symptoms of a concussion?

A concussion can affect the brain in many ways with headache being the most immediate symptom including drowsiness and feeling dizzy as well. Below are the various symptoms of a concussion according to AANS:

• Confusion
• Vision disturbance
• Memory loss
• Nausea or vomit
• Ringing ears
• Difficulty in concentrating
• Trouble sleeping
• Sensitivity to light

Repeated concussion can lead to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) which can affect individual behaviour, physical impairment and in some cases dementia as well.

When to see doctor for a concussion?

After an initial test, a person should see the doctor if experiencing following symptoms:

• Headache not going away
• Slurred speech
• Seizures
• Continues nausea or vomiting
• Symptoms not going away after 10-14 days
• History of concussions

After death of Aussie Phillip Hughes on field after being a hit by a bouncer, the International Cricket Council (ICC) also took steps towards prevention of any such tragedy in future. The ICC has added back flaps on the helmet, unavailability of which was one of the factors in Hughes' death.

The ICC now also allows players to be replaced during the match with a substitute if someone suffers from a concussion during the game.