Over-training could have damaged Damar Hamlin’s heart, feels Indian cardiac surgeon
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Damar Hamlin (Image via Greg M. Cooper/AP)
The world is praying for Damar Hamlin, the Buffalo Bills’ defensive back, who is now in intensive care in an induced coma at a private hospital in the United States of America. What happened on Monday night in an NFL game was shocking as the 24-year-old collapsed on the field in the first quarter of an important fixture.
Images on television, watched worldwide by billions, were one of horror as Hamlin lay motionless on the field. Paramedics and medics rushed onto the field and swung into action. The best part was those crucial first few minutes, so important in any kind of trauma, were used the best way. Hamlin, indeed, was given life, literally, as the well-trained medics got his heart to beat again. How they did it was crazy to watch, which had team members and fans crying.
It seemed, he had copped it. But then, the NFL is well prepared for such trauma, which has been highlighted very recently by athletics legend Michael Johnson, a man who owns multiple middle-distance running medals in the Olympics. Hamlin suffered a second cardiac arrest as well in the hospital on Tuesday night and has been revived. He remains intubated, which means he is on a ventilator.
For the common man, it’s shocking to understand how a young athlete like Hamlin suffered this episode. FIRST SPORTZ spoke to a leading cardiac surgeon in the Capital, Dr. BK Mohanty, who offered his views. “This kind of trauma is not related to human physiology. Sitting so far away, to be critical and give an opinion is incorrect. Having said that, a lot of athletes do develop heart trouble even when they are young,” said Dr. Mohanty.
He said that over-training can often lead to such disastrous situations and there is no such thing as a youngster having a stronger heart. One thing is for athletes to have the better cardio capacity and quite another to suffer problems. What has happened to Hamlin is not a one-off. There have been many cases before this as well, where athletes have collapsed. Some even died.
In Hamlin’s case, fellow athletes and those not even part of the NFL have sent their best wishes and prayers to the superstar’s family. In turn, the family has put out a message on social media, thanking all for their prayers.
Cardiac episodes like Hamlin’s are not new to the sports world
To be sure, NFL and violence are not alien to each other. The premier event in US sports has been under the scanner for a long. Yet, the popularity of the NFL is crazy. “Yes, it is frightening what has happened to Hamlin but from what I have read, he is getting the best care,” said Dr. Mohanty. Any heart episode is serious as it is a matter of life and death. It’s not like being involved in an accident, say like Rishabh Pant, whose car caught fire after the crash. Pant is recovering, though images of a charred Mercedes sent shivers down spines.
Then again, a cardiac episode, whether it is a heart attack or cardiac arrest, is deadly serious. Even for those involved in other disciplines like motorsport, the AED (defibrillator) is used to send shock waves and revive the heart. In the NFL, there is a full medical army attached to each team. It includes physicians, cardio specialists, ortho, chiro practitioners and physios, etc. In addition, there is an extra layer of medical staff at the stadium, which offers more coverage in the event of any medical trauma.
Hamlin battles for life in Cincinnati, and the family members have shared details of it all. The dependence on oxygen through a ventilator is being reduced, though he remains critical. In the case of many young athletes, over-training is one reason why such issues crop up. Elite athletes undergo regular check-ups, and scans and are monitored. What happened to Hamlin can happen to any athlete, however, fit and agile he or she may look from beyond the boundary.
Most athletes push their bodies beyond limits in training and actual field of play. One would imagine they are Alpha Males and super fit, but the human body cannot continuously be pushed beyond endurance levels. Hamlin’s case is not one in isolation. Last year, during the FIFA World Cup, a Dutch player, Daley Blind played with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) in his chest to detect an irregular heartbeat.
The ICD would swing into action in the event of any sudden heart malfunction or cardiac arrest. A similar device was used on Christian Eriksen to resume his career. He, too, had suffered cardiac arrest playing for Denmark at the last European Championship.
Only time will tell what and how Hamlin suffered this episode. The first thing is to come out of this crisis. After that, assuming all is normal, he will be subjected to many more tests. Right now, it’s a battle of life and death. Literally.
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S Kannan
(382 Articles Published)