Occupational diseases of athletes

An athlete's life is frequent exhausting training, physical exertion, early wear and tear of the body, accidental injuries and, as a result, the occurrence of occupational diseases. For example, shooters and biathletes often have hearing problems. Swimmers sooner or later acquire diseases of the respiratory system and nasal sinuses. Athletes who are involved in figure skating, gymnastics and weightlifting may subsequently suffer from pathologies of the spine and joints.

Needless to say, most diseases manifest themselves after the end of a sports career. Those who have been doing cardio for a long time often have heart problems after 40 years.

But a greater number of pathologies are observed in professional boxers: among a number of specific diseases, they are characterized by retinal detachment, encephalopathy, Parkinsonism, epilepsy, etc.

Separately, it is necessary to say about taking anabolic steroids and stimulants. Such means improve the performance of athletes, but with age their use affects the condition of most internal organs and the musculoskeletal system.

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Occupational diseases of swimmers

The following pathologies are typical for professional swimmers and divers:

• acute otitis is an inflammatory process in the ear, with pain in the ears, discharge of pus and hearing loss;
• barotrauma – damage to the middle ear as a result of pressure changes, particularly during deep diving;
• infectious diseases of the ear and nasal sinuses - caused by infection entering the ear and nasal passages;
• damage to the eardrum - most often associated with barotrauma;
• exostosis of the auditory canal;
• otomycosis is the development of a fungal infection in the ear.

The consequences of such diseases are obvious - ear pain, impaired hearing, dizziness, noise and ringing in the ears, chronic sinusitis and sinusitis.

In some cases, arthrosis of the shoulder joints and osteochondrosis of the cervical spine are also observed.

Professional diseases of football players

Everyone knows about the increased risk of injury to football players during matches. Most often, athletes injure their lower limbs, knee and ankle joints, less often - their arms and head. Football is characterized by fractures, sprains, muscle and tendon ruptures, dislocations, periosteum damage, concussions. Injuries are the most common, but not the only pathology inherent in football players. What diseases are we talking about?

• Inflammatory processes in the joints (bursitis, arthritis);
• inflammation of ligaments and tendons (ligamentitis, tendinitis);
• inflammation of the periosteum (periostitis);
• traumatic myositis (aseptic inflammation of muscles);
• vasculitis and phlebitis (inflammatory processes in the vessels);
• Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.

The vast majority of illnesses are the consequences of injuries that inevitably haunt almost all athletes, including football players.

Professional diseases of runners

Track and field and running are popular sports, especially among young people. But if you run professionally, can it have a negative impact on your health?

Of course, like any other sport, running is fraught with injuries or diseases of the musculoskeletal system. What diseases can we talk about:

• tendinitis of the ankle joint, which occurs due to overload of the calf muscles;
• pain in the kneecap area (the so-called “runner’s knee” syndrome) – occurs as a result of incorrect knee extension;
• iliotibial fascia syndrome - appears when the leg lands with the knee straightened;
• inflammatory process in the periosteum of the tibia;
• plantar fasciitis - develops when the foot is pushed off the surface with force;
• damage to muscle fibers of the thighs, calves, and tendons;
• spinal overload;
• fractures and cracks in the ankle bones.

A large number of diseases develop as a result of injuries that a runner receives due to failure to follow the correct running technique, as well as due to imperfect running tracks and surfaces.

Professional disease of tennis players

The most typical professional disease of tennis players is the so-called "tennis elbow" or traumatic epicondylitis - a disease associated with constant and excessive load on the upper limb. The pathology is characterized by microtraumas of the extensor tendons of the wrist and fingers.

There is also a possibility of minor injuries, which may include bruises, calluses on the feet and palms.

Other injuries include:

• sprains and ligament tears;
• dislocations and subluxations;
• arthritis of the shoulder joint;
• damage to the periscapular muscles and ligaments;
• herniated discs, spondylolisthesis;
• injuries of the lumbosacral vertebrae.

Experienced tennis players often develop inflammatory processes: tendinitis, tendovaginitis, deforming osteoarthrosis and mygealosis.

Professional disease of boxers

Boxing is a spectacular event, but extremely dangerous for the boxers themselves. The risk of injury in this sport is one of the highest, because the number of blows that an athlete can take in one fight is in the tens.

Of course, most often frequent and multiple injuries lead to the development of diseases, but sometimes one blow is enough to cause a complication such as retrograde amnesia.

Boxers often have problems with their hearing organs. In addition to hearing loss, there may be tinnitus, dizziness, and vestibular disorders.

Craniocerebral trauma, nasal bone fractures, bruises and cuts are not uncommon. All such injuries may have negative consequences in the future, such as the development of cerebral circulation disorders, convulsive syndrome, paresis and paralysis.

Strong blows to the body can cause damage to internal organs, including ruptures of the liver and spleen, which can lead to disability and even death.

Professional diseases of cyclists

The bicycle is designed not only for transportation, but also for health improvement. However, professional cyclists sometimes do not have this health, because cycling is also associated with injuries and other pathologies of the musculoskeletal system.

What are the most common occupational diseases among cyclists?

• Injuries to muscles and ligaments of the shoulder girdle, spine and lower limbs.
• Vestibular disorders.
• Injuries: bruises, sprains, fractures, dislocations.
• Damage and dysfunction of the reproductive organs.
• Cramps, muscle spasms.
• Cardiovascular pathologies (hypertension, varicose veins, heart attack, thrombophlebitis).

The most common diseases among cyclists are considered to be arthrosis of the knee joint with deformation, neuritis and tendovaginitis.

Professional diseases of climbers

Professional mountaineers or rock climbers are people who expose their lives and health to a certain risk every day. It does not matter what kind of mountaineering we are talking about – industrial or sport: both types of activity significantly affect a person’s health.

The following pathologies are especially common among high-altitude workers and mountain climbers:

• burns and frostbite;
• problems with ligaments, tendons, cartilage and bones (fractures, sprains, ruptures, dislocations, etc.);
• diseases of the digestive system (gastritis, enterocolitis, cholecystitis, pancreatitis, etc.);
• diseases of the respiratory system (laryngitis, sinusitis, frontal sinusitis, bronchitis, pneumonia);
• ARI and ARVI;
• mountain (altitude) sickness, which occurs as a result of a lack of oxygen in the inhaled air when ascending to a high altitude;
• changes in the cardiovascular system (myocardial hypoxia, hypertension, tachyarrhythmia);
• diseases associated with changes in atmospheric pressure, including nasal, gastric and pulmonary bleeding.