Via practica 3/2005

SKIN DISORDERS AND SPORT ACTIVITY

Sports and physical exercise have become an integral part of a modern lifestyle. Although their benefits are plentiful, participation in athletic activities can also be associated with a wide variety of skin problems. Skin is the interface between the athlete and the athletic environment, so it is particularly vulnerable. Sports participation may result in numerous cutaneous manifestations, from benign mechanical trauma, exposure to environmental and infectious agents to life-threatening illnesses. Treatment of these skin lesions may be unsatisfactory without an understanding of the unique factors that contributed to the problem. Physicians who are familiar with the prevention and treatment of these disorders can teach athletes how to avoid them or intervene when necessary to keep patients on the athletic field.

Keywords: skin injury, skin infection, dermatoses, sport.