Common Skin Problems from SportsParticipating in sports is part of a healthy lifestyle, but there are a number of skin conditions that can result from these activities and hamper performance and enjoyment. Exercisers are prone to skin problems caused by increased moisture or friction or damaging elements like cold, sunlight, and infection. Common weather-related problems include frostbite, dry skin, sunburn, and fever blisters. Many of these can be prevented by keeping the skin dry, clean, and protected. Excessive Moisture Sweating is one of the most common causes of sports-related skin disorders. Wet skin promotes the proliferation of otherwise normal skin bacteria and other microscopic organisms. Foot odor, for example, is largely due to bacteria that thrive in a moist environment. Jock itch (tinea cruris) and athlete's foot (tinea pedis) occur more often in moist conditions. Wear socks that are made of absorbent synthetic material to keep your feet drier, change your socks frequently. After exercising, wash and dry your feet, and air out your feet and your shoes between activities. To help avoid jock itch, keep the skin in the groin area as dry as possible. Work out in loose underwear and pants. Bathe and change into clean clothes as soon as possible. Skin Infections Continued wearing of wet
clothing after exercise also increases the risk of folliculitis, A boil is a skin infection, usually of a hair follicle, caused by common bacteria. Wrestlers are particularly susceptible to boils because as they sweat, their skin comes in contact with athletic mats -- which may harbor bacteria when they are not properly cleaned after use -- or other wrestlers who can transmit the infection. Boils should not be squeezed, as this will spread the infection. While warm compresses can relieve the pain, athletes should see a dermatologist if the boil does not drain by itself. Those prone to fever blisters should apply a sunscreen-containing lip balm before going outdoors and then reapply it frequently. Very susceptible people may wish to consult their doctor about preventive drugs like acyclovir. Friction Friction is another common cause of skin problems. Chafing often occurs in areas where skin rubs clothing or another skin surface. Blisters typically appear in thicker, pressure-bearing areas such as the palms and soles. Friction from clothing can also cause an irritation, and even bleeding, of the nipples, often called jogger's nipples. Soft light acrylic clothing should be worn to avoid jogger's nipples. Bras decrease friction. Men can place adhesive bandages over the nipples to protect them. Acne Mechanica Brian Adams, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, University of Cincinnati School of Medicine, and Chief of Dermatology, VA Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, discussed the prevalence and treatment of skin conditions that can result from engaging in athletic activities, such as infections, blisters, abrasions, rashes, acne, and sunburns. Acne mechanica is a form of acne seen in athletes that is a result of heat, pressure, occlusion, and friction. It usually occurs in areas such as the shoulders, back and head that are covered by protective gear. Tight synthetic clothing or equipment such as helmets and shoulder pads are primary culprits of acne mechanica in football and hockey players. Prevention and treatment of acne mechanica include obvious measures such as wearing a clean T-shirt made of cotton or a material that whisks away moisture against the skin or underneath a uniform, washing the affected areas immediately following athletic activity, and applying a keratolytic solution -- such as one containing salicylic acid and resorcinol -- directly to the rash. Although acne mechanica does not respond well to typical acne treatments, a keratolytic solution such as one containing salicylic acid and resorcinol applied directly to the rash can be effective. "The best thing an athlete can do to help prevent acne mechanica is to shower immediately after practice or competition," explained Dr. Adams. "Wearing moisture-wicking clothing under a uniform or protective gear can also help." Perhaps the most serious conditions that can afflict athletes are the various infections caused by bacteria and viruses transmitted by skin-to-skin contact with other athletes or athletic equipment.
"Athletes are particularly susceptible to infections for a variety of reasons," said Dr. Adams. "Sweating softens and impairs the skin’s main barrier of the body, the stratum corneum. Athletic equipment obstructs the skin, thereby creating a warm and moist environment for microorganism growth. In addition, athletes often suffer from skin trauma such as cuts or scrapes, which facilitates the entry of microorganisms."
Types of bacteria, known as gram positive bacteria, can infect athletes and cause impetigo and folliculitis. Impetigo is a contagious skin condition characterized by yellow, crusted, well-defined lesions. Wrestlers, rugby players and football players are more at risk for developing impetigo because of the close skin-to-skin contact inherent to these sports.
"Infected athletes should be isolated if the lesion cannot be bandaged," said Dr. Adams. "In many states, wrestlers will not be able to compete unless a physician has made a specific note that the particular lesion is not contagious." Dr. Adams adds that although rashes are a concern in sports such as football and hockey that require occlusive gear, nonscientific data currently exist to suggest that cleaner pads contribute to fewer rashes and infections. He says, however, that there is evidence that sharing equipment with athletes who have skin infections can spread the infection to otherwise unaffected athletes. He says skin rashes and infections in sports are caused by multiple factors: occlusion, friction, moisture, and some microorganisms. "Acne mechanica is not an infection and it's not going to get any better with cleaner pads," he says. "however, bacteria can superinfect acne mechanica." Adams says cleaner pads provide a theoretical benefit for patients who already have infections and share pads or equipment. He also notes that cleaner pads could theortically decrease the chance of reinfection in patients who have had skin infections. He says that researchers, however, have been somewhat, unsuccessful at culturing organisms off of affected mats and pads. (The company's own cultures of rinse water have revealed bacteria and fungi,) Sweating macerates the stratum comeum, making the skin more vulnerable to contact with microorganisms and antigens, Adams says. Freqet sensitizers in sports gear include leather tanning accelerants, preservatives and rubber. Thoroughly washing the pads, he says, may remove the sensitizers. Adams says that coaches and athletes often have a hard time distinguishing between rashes and skin infections. "Contact dermatitits and acne mechanica look completely different," he says. Early lesions of herpes infections ad bacterial folliculitis can mimic acne mecanica. Physicians are in a position to resolve misconceptions about skin infections and also provide sports teams realistic expectations about the new washing systems, Adams says, "Frankly, though, as an athlete and as a physician of athletes, pads that smell better make a lot of sense." Source: Medical College of Wisconsin - HealthLink |