Estudio de las dermopatías que se presentan con mayor frecuencia en el pie del deportista: prevención y tratamiento

Abstract

Introduction Some skin problems are specific to sportsmen and can even be exclusive to a particular kind of sport. The aim of the present study was to determine a) the incidence of dermal foot lesions produced by mechanical stress, environmental factors or infections depending on the sport; b) the types of measures usually applied to prevent these lesions; and c) the treatment of these lesions. Methods We designed a questionnaire that was completed by sportsmen and women who attended the Andalusian Center for Sports Medicine in Malaga (Spain) in February-March 2006. Fifty-nine sportsmen and women who engaged in swimming, athletics, basketball or triathlon were interviewed about foot lesions. Results A total of 79.7% had had some kind of dermal foot lesion. The most frequent lesions were blisters (66.1%), followed by mycosis (25.4%) and ingrown toenail (18.6%). According to the participants, the lesions were caused by humidity in 25.4%, friction with socks and shoes in 50.8%, and unknown causes in 23.8%. These lesions led to a loss of 70 training days, with an average of 1.2 days per person. Three participants had sought specialist treatment while the remaining participants relieved their injuries with disinfection and home remedies. Conclusion The incidence of dermal foot lesions is high in the sports studied, leading to lost training days. Consequently, sportsmen and women should be educated in the prevention of these injuries, which could hamper their chances of success.