The Dirty Side of Wrestling

Injuries are common in just about every sport. Wrestling is no different. With that being said, there is one pretty unique physical ailment that is more prevalent in wrestling than most other sports. That ailment would have to be skin infections. Wrestling is notorious for its apparent lack of sanitation. Some of the most common types of skin infections include ring worm, herpes simplex, impetigo, and staph/MRSA. You can already bet that I have gotten every single one these at least once during my wrestling career. I actually had a pretty bad case of a staph infection that left me in the hospital for a couple of days. I missed about two weeks of wrestling and school because of it. I have also gotten folliculitis as well. It is unfortunate, but skin infections do play a serious role in wrestling. Most skin infections are harmless and only causes a little bit of redness and irritation. Most wrestlers are fine after a day or two of putting ointment on it. Now cases with staph and MRSA can be dangerous and even life threatening at times if it is not taken care of appropriately. Why are skin diseases so predominantly associated with wrestling compared to most other sports? Well the answer is quite simple. Wrestling probably has more skin on skin contact with other people than any other sport out. This also happens to be the most common way these diseases spread. The wrestling environment itself also plays a key role. Most wrestling rooms are kept at warmer temperatures to induce sweating. Sweating is crucial for wrestlers because it is the main way they lose excess water weight. The problem is that this creates a warm a moist habitat that most bacteria can thrive in. It is extremely important to take the appropriate measures to reduce the probability of contracting a skin disease. The wrestling mats should be thoroughly cleaned before and after every use. It should also be encouraged for the wrestlers to practice good hygiene. They should be taking showers with antibacterial soap immediately after every practice. Their practice clothes should also be thoroughly washed because the bacteria can survive within them. There are even some skin lotions and creams that can be applied before practice or tournaments that will help prevent the spreading of these diseases. When in doubt, you should always error on the side of caution. If something pops up that even remotely looks like a skin infection, it should be immediately checked out by a doctor and kept covered up.