Do you imitate your football heroes in real life by heading the ball? Then you have a definite reason to be alarmed. Dr. Bennet Omalu, a Forensic pathologist and Neuropathologist, opines that heading the ball can cause brain-related diseases. He warns that heading the ball is a dangerous practice and that it is high time we changed this style of playing. Dr. Omalu revealed this fact during BBC Radio 5 Live. He advises that this practice must be stopped at a professional level as it is detrimental to the human brain. The brain is secured in the skull like a balloon. When a person heads the ball, it causes harm to his brain. Many renowned footballers have been victims of brain-related diseases. Moreover, heading also can cause dementia. Teenagers can definitely play football, but they should strictly avoid heading the ball, Dr. Omalu adds.
Jeff Astle, the famous English footballer, was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, when he died in 2004 at the age of 59. He had a habit of heading the football ever since he was sixteen years old. Therefore, when children play football, parents and teachers must take care that they do not head the ball.
