Blisters - Treatment and Prevention
Blisters are common for most runners. Most just accept them as an expected side effect of running but there are ways to avoid them, or decrease the pain and risk of infection if you get one.
Causes
· friction and irritation to the surface layer of the skin
· rubbing against shoes or socks create friction and these moist, warm conditions are perfect for blisters.
Prevention
· Minimize friction.
· Appropriate footwear..
· Make sure your shoes are the right size and shape.
· Wear socks made from synthetic blends.
· Apply petroleum jelly or talcum power to feet before running to reduce friction.
Blister Care
· Prevent it from getting bigger and avoid infection.
· Small unbroken blisters that are pain free can be left alone to heal, as the best protection against infection is a blister's own skin.
· Large, painful blisters can be drained but don't remove the top layer of skin. First clean the blister with rubbing alcohol or soap and water. Then use a sterilized a needle to puncture a small hole at the edge of the blister. Drain the fluid by applying gentle pressure. Put a bit of antibiotic ointment on the blister and cover with a plaster.
· If you are unsure see a chiropodist/podiatrist to treat the blister for you.
Hyponatremia
This is a condition to be aware of and avoid at all costs. It is important to monitor your hydration both during training and racing. Hyponatremia is a condition also known as "water intoxication." It is the opposite of dehydration, and is often associated with long distance events like running and cycling. It is not an unusual problem, and you can develop it in a few hours.
The imbalance of water to salt is caused by one of three conditions:
- Hypovolemic hyponatremia -- water and sodium are both lost from the body, but the sodium loss is greater.
- Hypervolemic hyponatremia -- both sodium and water content in the body increase, but the water gain is greater.
- Euvolemic hyponatremia -- there is an increase in total body water, but the sodium content remains constant.
Most people when running think they will sweat too much and so drink a lot of water before and during a race. If you consume large amounts of water over the course of a day, blood plasma (the liquid part of blood) increases and dilutes the salt content of the blood. At the same time, your body loses salt by sweating. This results in a decreased amount of electrolytes available to your body. Over time this will interferes with brain, heart, and muscle function. These electrolytes are essential to the normal electro-chemical operation of your nervous system.
- Apathy
- Confusion
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Make sure you are sufficiently hydrated. You should aim to never reach the point of feeling thirsty.
- Ensure your urine is always as pale as possible if it is dark you are already dehydrated.
The key is to sip at water throughout the day rather than gulp it down.
Welcome to the Running Repairs blog!!
Firstly let me introduce myself for those of you who dont know me. I am Paula Coates clinical specialist physiotherapist at Balance performance physiotherapy, marathon runner and skater, and one of the founder members of the Clapham Runners way back in 2005!
This blog page should become a collection of training and injury related questions that i will answer, or if i cant, ask one of the Running Clinc team to answer for you. I can guarantee we will have come across the problem before, and will be able to get you back at the track or in a rehab setting to make you better or improve your performance.
Most of you will have been to Balance for the Saturday morning sessions but if you dont know what else we offer check out the website http://www.balancephysio.com/ and join our facebook group to keep up to date with all the latest news and reviews. If your on twitter, follow the running_repairs tweets directly to your phone or read them on the clapham runners homepage.
Thats all for now, but as soon as i get any questions i will post my answers. In the mean time i will tell you all about the Alter G anti-gravity treadmill which can keep you running even with an injury!! All Clapham runners get a free trial. Want one? Drop me an email at paula@balancephysio.com
