Skin Infections And The Student Athlete

If your student athlete has ever experienced a skin rash, lesions, blister or sore that needed care, take heart that they’re not alone. Skin infections from sports are common in all ages, particularly among athletes in contact sports.

Having a better understanding of the more common skin infections that can occur in student athletes will help you better manage your athlete’s healthcare.

How Are Skin Infections Shared In Athletes?

Skin infections are most often transmitted from person to person. Risk factors for skin infection in student athletes include:

• Contact sports participation
• Body shaving
• Sharing of towels, razors and equipment

What Are Common Skin Infections In Student Athletes?

“Skin infections in student athletes may be caused by several organisms, including viruses, bacteria and fungi,” said Blake Averill, MD, an Indianapolis sports medicine doctor with Franciscan Physician Network. “Since each needs to be treated in a different way, it’s important to distinguish them.”

Three of the most common types of skin infections seen in school-aged athletes are:

Staph Aureus

Staph Aureus is a bacterium that can be resistant to certain antibiotics. That bacterium is called methicillin-resistant staph aureus (MRSA) or methicillin-susceptible staph aureus (MSSA).

Staph is found in about a third of all people in the U.S. These germs normally don’t cause a problem if your immune system remains strong and your skin stays intact. But if your skin is damaged, like from a cut or scratch, the bacteria could cause an infection.

“This a can range from a mild infection, like a small pimple, to sores or abscesses with drainage,” Dr. Averill said. “If they spread from the local tissue into the bloodstream, they can cause more widespread problems.”

Staph infections are treated by antibiotics. Depending on the type of infection, you may get a cream, ointment, oral medications or intravenous (IV) medicines.

Herpes

The Herpes virus can cause cold sores in the mouth or painful blisters on the neck or torso with surrounding redness on the skin.

Cold sores can't be cured, but due to the highly infectious nature of the virus, treatment with oral antiviral medications is recommended. If symptoms are severe, anti-inflammatory medicines or over-the-counter pain relief medicines may help ease some symptoms.

Tinea/Ringworm

Ringworm is a fungus that can cause red and dry patches on the skin. Tinea infection can affect any part of the body. Tinea infections of the feet, nails, and genital area are not often called ringworm. This is because the red patches may not look like rings. But it most often occurs in moist areas of the body and around hair.

The most common types of ringworm are:

1. Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis). This common type occurs on the feet and between the toes. It presents as red, scaly, and itchy. It may be caused by sweating, not drying the feet after swimming or bathing, wearing tight socks and shoes, and warm weather.
2. Jock itch (tinea cruris). This rash occurs around the genitals (groin, upper thighs, abdomen) but usually spares the genitals. Jock itch may be hard to cure. This condition is more common in men and rare in women. It happens more often in warm weather.
3. Scalp ringworm (tinea capitis). Scalp ringworm occurs on the head. It is very contagious but rare in adults.
4. Nail infection (tinea unguium). This is an infection of the toenails, and sometimes fingernails. It causes thickened, deformed, and discolored nails instead of a rash.
5. Body ringworm (tinea corporis). This occurs anywhere on the body or the face. But it is more common in skin folds. It is also more common in warmer climates.

Treatment for ringworm depends on what part of the body is infected. It may include antifungal cream, shampoo or medicine by mouth.

What Should I Do If My Student Athlete May Have A Skin Disease?

If your student athlete has lesions, blisters or sores or a skin infection is suspected, you should:

• Avoid ongoing participation in contact sports/exposure with others.
• Seek medical attention for further evaluation and treatment.
• Avoid play until all symptoms have subsided, and the athlete is not contagious.
• Wash clothes you wore before, along with gear and sheets and bedding that may be infected.

How Can I Prevent Spread Of Skin Diseases?

You can prevent spreading skin diseases in the athletic setting by:

Practicing Good Hygiene

Practice good hygiene, and wash hands frequently. Encourage everyone to wash clothes after practice. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with your hands to help prevent the spread of infections.

Keeping Gear Clean

Keeping sports gear clean is essential to slowing the spread of skin infections. Thoroughly sanitize and disinfect all gear before and after use; and allow for air flow in rooms. Wash your hands after using any shared equipment (such as barbells and free weights).

Wash towels after each use, using hot water with detergent (and bleach if possible) and dry completely on high heat setting.

Checking For Potential Skin Diseases

Student athletes should report any skin lesions or sores to your coaching staff immediately (and parent or guardian if you are under 18 years of age). Have any rashes and sores evaluated by a doctor or healthcare professional.

Not Sharing Towels, Toiletries or Personal Gear

Use a clean towel as a barrier between your bare skin and shared surfaces such as exercise equipment, benches or physical therapy tables and equipment. Do not share towels, washcloths, soap, razors, toothbrushes, deodorant, ointments or creams.

Athlete Clearance for Contact Sports

Before returning to athletic activity, athletes are recommended to receive appropriate treatment to prevent further spread of skin infections. These include:

• Viral/Herpes--No systemic symptoms (fevers, chills), no new lesions in last 72 hours, and 120 hours of antiviral therapy
• Bacterial/Staph—No new lesions for 48 hours, completed 72 hours of antibiotic therapy, and have no moist or draining lesions
• Fungal/Tinea--72 hours of topical therapy or 2 weeks of oral therapy for scalp infections

Get more tips on preventing skin conditions in athletes from the American Academy of Dermatology.