Now Peyton Manning. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3661378 What is with these guys? Do they not shower?
Over 20% of healthy people carry staph in their nose. Get an opening though the skin, make contact with nose, directly or indirectly, and you've got a staph infection. Worse yet, 3% of healthy people carry MRSA in their nose. MRSA is an antibiotic resistant staph. This stuff is getting more and more common in the general environment. If MRSA gets into your blood stream, you'll be on IV antibiotics, and if that doesn't work, you just might not make it. MRSA usually presents itself on the surface, on the skin. It looks like a large, angry, sore, red boil. If you get something that looks/feels like that....get to the doctor right away. Don't wait for a delayed appointment. MRSA and staff are VERY common on shared towels, weight lifting equipment, in the whirlpool, and on the training table. And, yes Virgina, it is very common in hospitals. Bottom line, the best way to avoid staph/MRSA infections when playing sports is to immediately clean and cover ANY cut, scratch, or other opening in the skin.
First thing I do after I'm done at the gym is head straight to the sink in the locker room and wash my hands...no staph for me!
