FIFA fans, football is a dangerous sport for your health! Here are 5 reasons

Are you down with the FIFA fever? Well, half the world is! But, if you also love not just watching but playing football, are a player already or are planning to become one, there's something you need to know. Football may be dangerous to your health! Here are the five primary health risks playing football brings along with it.

CONCUSSION RISK: There has been a case of a high school football player receiving a blow on the head that equalled 300 times the force of gravity! This equals 20 times the force of a rear-end car collision! The risk of concussions and concussion-related problems is one of the most dreadening factors in playing football.

CHRONIC TRAUMATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY RISK: One of the most persuasive factors that make people stay away from playing football is the risk of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). It is a disease that occurs in people who have a history of concussions. It hits the head and can cause mood and behavioural troubles. A study by the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that 87 per cent of the former football players had CTE, while 99 per cent of the current NFL players had it!

NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASE RISK: Also, football players in general are more likely to experience other neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's and Dementia. Football players are three times more likely to die from some kind of a neurodegenerative disease than one who doesn’t play football. Also, they are four times more likely to die from Alzheimer's. However, certain limitations have been pointed out in the studies that established these statistics. A correlation, for sure, has been found but not causation, an expert said.

DEPRESSION RISK: Repeated head trauma can lead to the football players suffering from depression. A former football player, Dave Duerson, had committed suicide after his retirement from the NFL because of depression. After his death it was found that he had a moderate case of CTE.

PHYSICAL HEALTH RISKS: Apart from all the neurological risks that the players may face, there are also higher chances of physical injury in this game, owing to the nature of the game. Football players are highly likely to injure their joints and ligaments in hips, elbows and knees. And contrary to popular notion, the players may get inflexible with age.