Run Well by Juliet McGrattan (reading books for 5 year olds .TXT) 📕

better than synthetic materials to avoid recurrent genital thrush. If your thrush isn’t clearing or it keeps returning, then do see you GP.

Q I get lots of infected hair follicles in my arm pits. I know sweating when I run isn’t helping. What can I do?

A The medical term for inflamed or infected hair follicles is folliculitis and it often affects armpits, groins or the beard area. Hair removal by waxing, shaving or plucking makes you more susceptible to folliculitis. It’s usually caused by bacteria, particularly staphylococcus aureus, which normally lives harmlessly on the skin. Typically, you’ll see red bumps and pustules which can be a bit sore, sometimes mildly itchy, and might weep some clear or pus-coloured discharge. You can try treating it at home by washing the area in salty water or using an antiseptic wash or cream. If this doesn’t help, then see your GP who will prescribe an antibiotic cream or tablet. You should generally keep the area as clean and dry as possible, so showering straight after running is important. You can protect sore or inflamed skin while you run by using a barrier cream. Occasionally an infected follicle can turn into a boil or abscess. Top spots for this, especially in active people, are near the anus (perianal abscess) or near the vagina (Bartholin’s abscess). These can get extremely painful and you won’t be able to run. You might even struggle with walking. See your GP as you will likely need antibiotics and possibly surgical drainage.

TRY THIS

AT HOME

Making a salt water soak

With skin conditions you’ll often see the advice to ‘soak in salty water’ to help prevent and treat infections. There’s some evidence that plain old water will do just as well, but if you want to try salt water (saline) then it’s good to know how to make it yourself. Strong concentrations of salt might aggravate the skin and weak ones will be ineffective. Here’s my advice for making a saline soak:

• Use 500 millilitres of warm tap water. If you plan to use this in your nose or eyes, then you should boil it for at least one minute to sterilise it.

• Add one teaspoon of salt. This can be table salt or fine sea salt (non-iodised).

• Stir until the salt has dissolved.

• Fill a bowl with the salty water and soak the affected area for ten to twenty minutes, twice a day. If this isn’t practical, then apply a compress by wetting a clean flannel and pressing it against the inflamed or infected skin.

• Let the area air dry and apply a clean dressing if needed.

• If you want to keep unused solution to use later, then store it in the fridge in a sealed jar that’s been washed in hot soapy water. It’s best to use it within 24 hours.

Q Any tips for dealing with a verruca? I’ve got an ­annoying one on my heel that’s a bit sore when I run.

A While running itself doesn’t put you at high risk of verrucas, your cross training might. They’re usually picked up at swimming pools and in communal showers. They are incredibly common and nothing to worry about, but they can occasionally be a bit uncomfortable in your running shoe. Verrucas are basically viral warts on the soles of your feet that grow inwards rather than outwards, due to the fact that you constantly tread on them. You don’t actually need to treat them as they will eventually go away on their own, but that can take two years so you need to be patient! There’s a strong argument that leaving them to clear is the best option, because it makes you less likely to get another one – your body will have produced the antibodies needed to prevent them. If one is causing you bother and you want to get rid of it, then there are plenty of things you can buy over the counter. Applying salicylic acid to the verruca (avoiding the surrounding skin) and filing away the dead skin the next day is one option. This is very effective, but does take weeks. A quicker option would be to use a home freezing spray. They’re expensive and don’t work as well as liquid nitrogen, but this is no longer widely available in GP clinics for the treatment of verrucas.

Alternatively, if you want to avoid using chemicals, try duct tape. Stick a piece of tape over the verruca. Take it off every week and soak your foot in warm water for a few minutes. File away the dead skin with an emery board and then reapply the tape. Keep doing this for four weeks. Another natural treatment is to apply a piece of banana skin (soft side down) over the verucca and secure it with a plaster. Do this overnight for two weeks washing the area every morning. The evidence for these methods is variable, but they won’t cause any harm and might just do the trick.

Did you know?

When you have diabetes (type 1 or 2), the sensation from the nerves in your feet becomes reduced, so it’s easy to get skin sores and blisters and not even know it. If you have diabetes, you should check your feet carefully after each run. Any lesions should be treated promptly because skin healing can be impaired and infections are more likely in diabetics.

Skin rashes

Q After I run I get a red, warm, itchy rash on my chest and back. I think it’s just heat rash. Can I stop it happening?

A Heat rash is very common, especially if you sweat a lot. Sweat clogs up the pores causing little red spots, which can itch and feel a bit prickly. The best way to prevent it is to keep your skin cool, which is hard if you’re a runner. Don’t over dress and wear fabrics which wick moisture away from the skin. Keep well hydrated with cold fluids too. It can take a