Many fans watch football just for the devastating tackles and hits. What the average fan doesn't see, however, is the long-term adverse effects of this brutal contact sport. Despite its status as the most popular sport in America, football exacts a heavy toll on the bodies of players. Nearly all professional football players will enter retirement with chronic pain, nagging injuries or mental health issues.
Memory Loss
Nearly all football players experience concussion injuries at some point. A concussion is an impact to the head that may lead to dizziness, confusion and loss of consciousness. Research has shown that players often feel impact forces comparable to a serious auto accident during a typical game. A concussed player needs time to recover, but elite athletes may feel compelled to play despite their injuries. The chances of a repeat concussion are elevated when the brain isn't allowed to heal. In the long run, multiple concussions over the span of a football career may lead to memory loss and other cognitive impairments.
Depression
A study published in the journal "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise" found evidence of a link between multiple concussions and clinical depression. The researchers discovered that players who suffered three or more concussions during their careers were three times as likely to be diagnosed with depression than players reporting no concussion. Depression is an especially damaging condition, as many people feel shame or weakness in admitting they need help. Depression may also make the symptoms of other ailments, such as arthritis, feel worse.
Arthritis
Arthritis is a painful inflammation and stiffening of the joints usually seen later in life. According to research published in the "Journal of Physical Activity and Health," former professional football players suffer from early onset arthritis at a rate three times that of the rest of America. Repeated knee, ligament and tendon injuries lead to an increased chance of developing the condition at an early age. Both the injuries and the surgeries to repair them take their toll on the joints. Corticosteroids injected to speed healing have the nasty side effect of damaging cartilage. Many retired professional football players deal with constant pain and disability resulting from the abuse they took on the playing field.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder resulting from too much body mass. Football linemen, often weighing in at more than 300 pounds, frequently suffer from this condition. Team trainers advise their players to shed bulk upon retirement, but not all follow this advice. The habit of eating for a large body may be difficult to break. Sleep apnea sufferers wake up hundreds of times throughout the night, as their airways become repeatedly constricted by overlaying fat and muscle. Untreated sleep apnea frequently results in severe complications and death.
References
- SFGate.com; Adding Insult to Injury; David Steele; September 2002
- University of Washington; Neuroscience for Kids; Long-Term Effects of Concussions in Football Players; Ellen Kuwana; May 2004
- "The New York Times"; Former Players Dealing With Lingering Health Issues; Clifton Brown; February 2007
- Gallup.com; Football Reaches Historic Popularity Levels in Gallup Poll; Joseph Carroll; January 2007
- "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise"; Recurrent Concussion and Risk of Depression in Retired Football Players; K.M. Guskiewicz, et al.; June 2007
- "Journal of Physical Activity and Health"; Early-Onset Arthritis in Retired National Football League Players; Y.M. Golightly, et al.; September 2009
