IMPORTANT TIPS!

1) One of the most important things you can do to prevent infection, ringworm, staph, etc. is to shower as soon as possible after practice!

2) If you have any cuts or abrasions, they should be fully and securely taped to prevent staph infection, and to prevent the transfer of bodily fluids.

Blood Policy

• TNBJJ has a strict no exceptions blood policy

  This policy is for the benefit of everyone. Although blood to blood transmission of disease would be highly unlikely in our club environment, since the consequences could be devastating (staph, hepatitis, etc.), we follow a strict no exceptions policy.

• ALL Cuts or Abrasions, until FULLY healed, must be completely and securely taped. A band-aid is NOT enough. The dressing must be completely secure to withstand full sparring stress.
• ALL Blood on your person, gi, or mat, must be sterilized using alcohol or sanitizer.

Ringworm (Usually Mild, Easily Treatable)

General: If you grapple long enough, you will eventually have a ringworm encounter. It is usually a mild, easily treatable, fungal infection. You do need to treat it though, because left unchecked, it can become quite nasty. Please note that ringworm is HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS.

Appearance: It starts as a small red bump, and develops into a ring like red lesions with slightly raised borders. If left untreated, it can become very large and somewhat dangerous.

Initial Appearance: First few days. Diameter = 1/4 inch	After several days untreated. Diameter = 1/2 inch	Untreated even longer. Diameter = 1 inch	If left untreated for long periods of time, it can spread to be a real problem. Diameter = 6 inches

 

Treatment: Over the counter anti fungal creams like Lotrimin AF, Mycelex, Micatin, Tinactin, or Aftate. Put on 2-3 times per day for two weeks. You need to continue the treatment the entire time, because the ringworm can still be there but not visible, and the full two weeks is needed to completely eliminate the infection.

If you condition persists or is severe, you should see a physician, who may prescribe you with a prescription oral medication.

Some home remedies you might see include using diluted bleach, fingernail polish, or tea tree oil. You should probably avoid these (especially the bleach, which can scar you for life), and stick with the treatment doctors recommend.

Staph Infection (Usually Moderate and Treatable, but can be EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. If you think you have staph, you likely need IMMEDIATE medical attention, particularly if you see "red lines" spreading from the infection area. Staph is serious business, it can, in rare cases, KILL YOU)

General: Caused by a Staphylococcus (or "staph") bacteria. About 25% of people normally carry staph in the nose, mouth, and other skin areas. The foot is also very prone to pick up bacteria from the floor. The infection often begins with a little cut, which gets infected with bacteria.

These staph infections range from a simple boil to antibiotic-resistant infections (MRSA), to flesh-eating infections. The difference between all these is how deep and how fast the infection spreads, and how treatable it is with antibiotics. The antibiotic-resistant infections are more common in North America, because of our overuse of antibiotics.

Appearance: Staph infections start out as a small red bump, and can quickly turn into deep painful abscesses.

One Example of Staph's Initial Appearance...	Can Quickly Turn into This	Another Example	Staph can be Serious Business, See a Doctor Now!

Treatment: Antibiotics and/or other treatment must be prescribed by a doctor. Deep infections can require surgical cleaning.