As fall is approaching, sports are kicking off for students of all ages. Typically, as parents, we sign consents and disclosures about injuries. However, one condition that is not discussed much is staph infections. Can you play sports with a staph infection?
What is a staph infection?
A staph infection is caused by Staphylococcus bacteria and can spread by direct or indirect contact. There are more than 30 strains of staph bacteria, ranging from mild skin infections to more serious types like a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, skin infection, which can be antibiotic-resistant.
“About 40 to 50 percent of the population carries staph on their body – as a normal part of being alive, you carry bacteria,” Amanda Ford BSN, RN (pictured above, right), a clinical nurse manager in the emergency department at Mercy Health — Springfield Regional Medical Center, shares. “So, for your average, moderately healthy patient, staph is not a major concern. The issue is when the person is compromised, meaning they have an underlying condition that can hamper their ability to fight off infection.”
“These bacteria can live on the skin of healthy individuals, spreading through skin-to-skin contact or by touching contaminated objects, such as shared athletic equipment,” Joshua Muetzel, MD (pictured above, left), a primary care, family medicine and sports medicine physician in our Lorain market, adds.
Can you play sports with a staph infection?
If you have a staph infection, it’s generally recommended to avoid participating in contact sports.
The CDC advises that individuals with open wounds, active skin infections or draining lesions should not engage in physical contact sports until their infections are fully healed. Allowing time for the infection to clear can prevent the spread to teammates and the worsening of your condition.
What happens when you get a staph infection?
Staph bacteria can cause many disorders, such as skin infections, muscle infections, inflammation of the heart’s chambers and valves and sepsis. If left untreated, a staph infection can reach other parts of your body, causing you to become ill with serious complications.
“The most common thing you’ll see will be a boil or abscess on the skin, maybe with some redness or swelling,” Amanda says.
Can your body fight off a staph infection?
“Most of the population carries staph bacteria on their bodies and while it’s usually not harmful, infections can occur if you have an open wound or compromised immune system,” Dr. Muetzel explains.
Additionally, Amanda warns that serious complications can develop if a staph infection isn’t addressed and spreads to other parts of the body. Thus, if you think you have a staph infection, it is important to see a health care professional right away.
“It can compromise your organs. It can cause sepsis. It can cause any number of inflammatory issues if not cured quickly,” she says.
Preventing a staph infection
“To prevent infection or reinfection, washing your hands with soap and hot water and regularly using alcohol-based hand sanitizers when soap isn’t available is essential,” Dr. Muetzel shares.
Some additional best practices to prevent the spreading of staph infections include:
- Covering wounds: If you can’t fully or properly cover an infected wound, you should not participate in practice or competitions until you’ve either recovered or it has healed enough to be covered.
- Cleaning equipment: Shared equipment, such as machines or weights at the gym, should be disinfected after use.
- Good hygiene: Athletes need to wash their hands regularly, shower and clean their clothes.
- Avoiding pools and whirlpools: A staph infection must be fully healed before using a pool, therapy pool, whirlpool, hot tub or ice bath.
- Checking wounds: Change your bandages and examine wounds for either improvement or worsening condition of your infection.
Learn more about staph infections as well as the primary care services we provide at Mercy Health.
