The Risks Of Bungy Jumping

The Risks Of Bungy Jumping

Thusfar, there have been a half-dozen deaths and nearly as many critical injuries attributed to bungy jumping. As bungy jumping is a relatively new sport, this is a significant number, and should make clear for anyone considering bungy jumping that it is quite risky indeed. While how well the bunjy jumping equipment is maintained and overseen for its safety factors plays a large role in preventing deaths, there are a number of health risks associated with the sport itself.

Deaths and critical injuries generally occur as a result of improperly maintained equipment or miscalculations of cord length. A death from massive cranial trauma occurred in 1997, for example, from improperly handled cords. The victim was a female member of a professional bungy jumping team.

However, even with the most stringent safety precautions, it is not possible to eliminate risks of injury, especially those which are actually associated with the sport of bungy jumping. One of the most significant risks particular to women is that of uterine prolapse. It is said that the speed and pressure of the bungy jumping can cause the uterus to not only tip but, in some cases, slide out of its normal location and even out of the body itself. This, naturally, is very dangerous and potentially life-threatening.

Eye trauma is another very serious health risk from bungy jumping. One of the most dangerous types of eye trauma associated with this sport is retinal hemorrhage; this presents a very real possibility of losing one's eyesight. Bungy jumping also presents the possibility of orbital emphysema, which can also result in permanent loss of vision. On a slightly-lesser scale, but still noteworthy, are basic injuries to the eyes and their surrounding tissues.

Other health risks of bungy jumping vary in their severity. While such injuries as bruises and rope burn may be thought to be rather minor, dislocations and back injuries can range from moderate to disabling. One must decide if all of these potential risks are worth engaging in the sport of bungy jumping, especially since there is no sure way of calculating the individual's chance of these results occurring. Even being in good general health beforehand is not a guarantee that the act of bungy jumping will not lead to any or all of these results.

If you have assessed your own personal health concerns and have decided to try bungy jumping anyway, it is essential that you do your bungy jumping on equipment which is frequently checked for and maintained for the optimum degree of safety. Next, you should ensure that those who handle the equipment before and during bungy jumping are adequately trained to do so properly. In addition, you should consider the factor that some bungy jumping groups allow newcomers to the sport to bungy jump alone, while others take the extra safety precaution of having a newcomer be accompanied by a trained jumper.

As with any adventurous sport, bungy jumping comes with many risks. It is impossible to eliminate all of these risks, regardless of how professional those in charge may be or how cautious the jumper may be. If you plan to become involved with bungy jumping, it is essential that you become aware of these risks.

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