Bacteria on the Ice: Hockey Edition

Ice hockey is a serious contact sport. Even with helmets and protective gear, an ice hockey player will experience several injuries over the span of their career. Cuts, open wounds, and lacerations top the list of common hockey injuries and occur almost every game, despite players wearing full-face shields. With all the cuts and wounds, there is plenty of blood and sweat on the ice, which puts others at risk for contracting infectious diseases.

This is incredibly bad news for ice hockey players who are more susceptible to contract infectious diseases such as the Herpes Simplex Virus, Staph, and MRSA. Ice hockey players who do not protect themselves from viruses and germs on the ice can affect their overall health and playing season. Even the smallest opening in the skin, cut, abrasion, or lesion can serve as a perfect entry point for a difficult to treat infection, such as MRSA or Staph.

Cases of MRSA and other infectious diseases can be extremely difficult to treat. These diseases have a potential to cause major complications for you, including sitting out a few games, which is the least of your worries. In order for ice hockey players to stay safe and protected, they need to start actively cleaning their gear. Players can now use Clear Gear Sports Spray to sanitize their ice hockey gear and clothes. Clear Gear Sports Spray is specifically designed to kill diseases causing germs, viruses and bacteria, making it vital for every player to have on hand.

The National Athletic Trainer’s Association (NATA) recommends ice hockey players, doctors and health care professionals to take necessary action in preventing the spread of infectious diseases. Evidence suggests the risk of these particular viruses has increased among high school and college aged players based on the spike of MRSA cases, herpes gladiatorum and impetigo within these groups.

Ice hockey players can help stop the spread of infectious diseases by following some necessary precautions:

• Always wear and clean protective gear including helmets, body padding, eye wear, and any other protective equipment utilized in the game or practice
• Allow hockey gear to dry thoroughly once it has been cleaned
• Have immediate access to first aid and emergency medical care
• Shower right after practice or a game
• Wash or pretreat your uniform or clothes and gear that you wore during a game or practice
• Clean workout or ice hockey bags with Clear Gear Sports Spray to stop the spread of infection
• Avoid sharing towels or any other personal items in the locker room, which is also a host for bacteria and waste
• If you have been cut during a game or practice, immediately clean and cover all the cuts, lesions or abrasions you have properly

It is very important to seek immediate medical attention if you find yourself with a cut or abrasion during the game or practice. If you do not treat your cut immediately and continue to play, you open yourself up to the potential dangers of infectious diseases. Additionally, any visible cut, wound, or injury will most likely have you sit out of the game anyway, until it is treated and cleared by a doctor. You can also help stop the spread of these viruses and diseases by keeping the rink and locker room areas clean and free from waste.  All of your ice hockey gear and clothes, shower, and locker room areas should be regularly disinfected with Clear Gear Sports Spray.

At Clear Gear, we want you to compete and enjoy yourself on the ice. Don’t ruin your time on the ice by not preventing your illness from happening. Use Clear Gear Sports Spray to stay safe and responsible on the ice. We want you to keep playing the game you love, so contact Clear Gear today for our revolutionary sports spray.

This post was sponsored by the folks at Clear Gear. For more information, go to www.cleargearspray.com.