90% OF FIGHTERS WILL RETIRED WITH BRAIN DAMAGE.

• Posted by Gumersindo Vidot

All fighters wish to become champions one day. They risk everything when they enter a boxing ring due to the blows, and to the fact that boxing is the only sport that has no insurance, health benefits.

Only 2% of fighters will ever reached their desire dream, but 90% will in fact suffer from some kind of Brain Damage. If you are a fighter, or a family member, or friend of a fighter with some of these symptoms you should contact a specialist.

Brain injuries are usually progressive, and only get worst through the years so please don't hesitate..
"It is a shame, and criminal the sport of boxing when it comes to taking care of they fighters" Many have become billionaires, and millionaires promoting fights but few eve give back to the sport where humanbeings are used, misused, abused, chewed up, and them spat out.

It is time for a mandatory health plan for fighters, and some kind of compensation if thy are injured. If 50 cents from each ticket sales, and HBO's PPV tapped for a dollar per customer paid by HBO then every fighter today can have the benefits they deserve. The cruel, and shameless sport of boxing needs change in how they do business, and the time is now.
The Retired Boxers Foundation is a non profit organization that has helped many fighters who have fallen from grace.
I am proud to be part of "The Undisputed Champions of Digity" The RBF. The RBF is the only true non profit organization of it's kind. No one, not even the president of the RBF gets paid. We rely on donations. The only benefits we get are those that come as blessings from God, and that and the love for the sport is what keeps us going. Please visit the RBF at
http://www.retiredboxers.org/


BRAIN INJURIES: If you suspect a brain injury

Sometimes, boxers suffer from symptoms recognized not only by themselves, but by family members, loved ones, their trainers, managers and others. If the athlete seeks medical treatment, they often come away without a diagnosis simply because many of the injuries to the brain do not show up in normal diagnostic tests. If you go to the doctor complaining about balance problems, speech problems, etc., the doctor will first perform a routine exam followed by a basic neurological exam. A good doctor will refer the patient to a neurologist who will perform extensive testing to determine any damage. Often, the patient is referred for an MRI. Unfortunately, the MRI often comes back without any indication of a brain injury.

In order for a complete and accurate diagnosis to happen, the patient needs to carefully explain the symptoms that brought you to the doctors office, along with a history--which includes any substance abuse, alcoholism and of course, your boxing history. When all else fails, the doctor may refer you to someone who will conduct a complete neuro-psychiatric examination. We highly recommend this examination because it can pinpoint the areas of the brain that might be damaged and as a result, you may be able to get the kind of medical treatment you need.

Alex Ramos, the founder of the Retired Boxers Foundation went through all of these tests and found that he had damage to his frontal lobe and to the right temporal lobe. There are new medications that can help the athlete (and his loved ones) cope with these brain injuries.

Depakote is just one drug that has worked well with several boxers. While this drug is primarily for seizure disorders, it has an effect on the frontal lobe, which is where the "executive" processes are. This is where anger, rage and emotions in general are situated. When there is damage to this area of the brain, there are misfires in the neurotransmitters that cause the person to react oddly to ordinary circumstances and have difficulty with emotions. Depakote, for some reason, not only helps the neurotransmitter misfires, it also affects (positively) balance disorders. The latter is an odd outcome of Depakote, but is documented as a side affect of the drug.

Wellbutrin also works well for people with brain injuries. Several boxers have found relief from their anger outbursts and rage with Wellbutrin. It doesn't work for everyone, but for the majority of people that it helps, it is worth the effort.

For more information, go to www.braininjury.com

http://www.braininjury.com/symptoms.html


SYMPTOM CHECKLIST


A wide variety of symptoms can occur after "brain injury." The nature of the symptoms depends, in large part, on where the brain has been injured. Below find a list of possible physical and cognitive symptoms which can arise from damage to specific areas of the brain:






Frontal Lobe: Forehead
Loss of simple movement of various body parts (Paralysis).
Inability to plan a sequence of complex movements needed to complete multi-stepped tasks, such as making coffee (Sequencing).
Loss of spontaneity in interacting with others.
Loss of flexibility in thinking.
Persistence of a single thought (Perseveration).
Inability to focus on task (Attending).
Mood changes (Emotionally Labile).
Changes in social behavior.
Changes in personality.
Difficulty with problem solving.
Inability to express language (Broca's Aphasia).

Parietal Lobe: near the back and top of the head

Inability to attend to more than one object at a time.
Inability to name an object (Anomia).
Inability to locate the words for writing (Agraphia).
Problems with reading (Alexia).
Difficulty with drawing objects.
Difficulty in distinguishing left from right.
Difficulty with doing mathematics (Dyscalculia).
Lack of awareness of certain body parts and/or surrounding space (Apraxia) that leads to difficulties in self-care.
Inability to focus visual attention.
Difficulties with eye and hand coordination.

Occipital Lobes: most posterior, at the back of the head

Defects in vision (Visual Field Cuts).
Difficulty with locating objects in environment.
Difficulty with identifying colors (Color Agnosia).
Production of hallucinations.
Visual illusions - inaccurately seeing objects.
Word blindness - inability to recognize words.
Difficulty in recognizing drawn objects.
Inability to recognize the movement of object (Movement Agnosia).
Difficulties with reading and writing.

Temporal Lobes: side of head above ears

Difficulty in recognizing faces (Prosopagnosia).
Difficulty in understanding spoken words (Wernicke's Aphasia).
Disturbance with selective attention to what we see and hear.
Difficulty with identification of, and verbalization about objects.
Short term memory loss.
Interference with long term memory.
Increased and decreased interest in sexual behavior.
Inability to catagorize objects (Categorization).
Right lobe damage can cause persistent talking.
Increased aggressive behavior.

Brain Stem: deep within the brain

Decreased vital capacity in breathing, important for speech.
Swallowing food and water (Dysphagia).
Difficulty with organization/perception of the environment.
Problems with balance and movement.
Dizziness and nausea (Vertigo).
Sleeping difficulties (Insomnia, sleep apnea).

Cerebellum: base of the skull

Loss of ability to coordinate fine movements.
Loss of ability to walk.
Inability to reach out and grab objects.
Tremors.
Dizziness (Vertigo).
Slurred Speech (Scanning Speech).
Inability to make rapid movements.

Recommended Reading
In the process of looking for the latest information on boxing and boxing related injuries, we have comprised a list of articles that you can check out. Just click on the title and you should get right to the article.

Genetic Susceptibility to Brain Injury in Sports: A Role for Genetic Testing in Athletes
by Barry D. Jordan MD, MPH

BOXING AND THE BRAIN: The National Parkinsons Foundation (Go to the search bar and type in "boxing." Go to "Boxing and the Brain.)


SHOULD BOXING BE BANNED: A REBUTTAL TO THE AMA

ALZHEIMERS MEETS ITS MATCH IN BOXERS: Article suggests that some boxers are predisposed to early dementia