Conjestina’s condition brings back debate on safety of boxing

What you need to know:

According to a research by British Medical Association (BMA), cuts and bruises are the most common boxing injuries, and many boxers leave the ring needing stitches to the face and dental work.
Although many injuries occur, boxing accounts for fewer deaths than many other sports, but the BMA says this is insignificant compared to the effects of brain damage that may go unrecorded in many boxers.
The symptoms of such brain damage - commonly known as being ‘punch drunk’ - include slurred speech, slow reactions and even occasional blackouts--chronic traumatic encephalopathy. These symptoms may take years to appear – on average about 16 years after taking up boxing, but sometimes as later as 40 years.
Ex-boxers are more vulnerable to natural aging of the brain and diseases of brain. They may be more likely to suffer diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Boxers’ brains are smaller and surface grey matter is thinner.

The story of Congestina Achieng, the first African woman to win a world title brings back the debate on the safety of boxing as a sport.

Ranked the fifth best female boxer in the world, Achieng made Kenya proud when she beat Ugandan Fiona Tugume to take the vacant World International Boxing Federation (WIBF) Middleweight title in 2004.

She earned a nickname hands of stone from the way she would take on opponents. But the effects of the punches she received seem to be taking toll on her.

Achieng was incoherent in her speech when interviewed on television days ago. It was evident she was going through some mental disorder.

While there have been very few deaths on the ring, the long term effects are seen to be fatal, Achieng may just be a victim of this.

According to a research by British Medical Association (BMA), cuts and bruises are the most common boxing injuries, and many boxers leave the ring needing stitches to the face and dental work.

Although many injuries occur, boxing accounts for fewer deaths than many other sports, but the BMA says this is insignificant compared to the effects of brain damage that may go unrecorded in many boxers.

As boxing involves powerful people hitting each other repeatedly, often around the head, there are significant risks of head injury. Most serious of all is a risk of permanent severe brain damage.

According to brain surgeons, over 80 per cent of professional boxers have serious brain scarring on MRI scans.

Other research has shown that a chemical called neurofilament light or NFL, which is released when nerve cells are damaged, is four times higher than normal in boxers after a fight and up to eight times higher when there have been more than 15 high-impact hits to the head.

It takes about three months for levels to return to normal after a fight.

While other injuries repair relatively easily, brain tissue, once damaged, remains damaged.

The symptoms of such brain damage - commonly known as being ‘punch drunk’ - include slurred speech, slow reactions and even occasional blackouts--chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

These symptoms may take years to appear – on average about 16 years after taking up boxing, but sometimes as later as 40 years.

Ex-boxers are more vulnerable to natural aging of the brain and diseases of brain. They may be more likely to suffer diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Boxers’ brains are smaller and surface grey matter is thinner.

The ventricles within the brain enlarged because of the decrease in the brain’s white matter.

Dr Andrew Sulleh who has been on the ringside when there are boxing matches says constant blows have long term effects. “We cannot just point out that Achieng may be suffering from the long term effect of boxing, but then again given that research proves boxers are vulnerable to brain damages, she needs to be handled with care,” he says.

Sulleh says Achieng’s case may also been fuelled more by life stress and frustrations.