Avoid cat's eye! Beware of 6 major injuries when running

Everyone is going crazy for road running! Whether you want to challenge yourself or enjoy the joy of exercising with others, doctors remind you to "move healthily and run safely". Newbies who want to join road running competitions should prepare clothes and drinking water before the race, pay attention to the road surface and crowd movements during the race, and avoid the six major injuries that occur while running, which will greatly reduce your health and happiness.

 **傷害1／跌倒擦傷**

Wang Anyi, attending physician at the Department of Emergency Medicine at Taipei Medical University Hospital, said that the most common accidental injuries among runners are falls and abrasions. These injuries occur most often on the cat's eye stones that separate lanes in the middle of the road, the height difference in the road surface, downhill sections, or the starting point of a race where everyone is rushing to start. Therefore, it is recommended that you conduct a site survey in advance for unfamiliar tracks before running to understand where falls are likely to occur, and to pace appropriately or consider taking a detour to avoid tripping.

For friction injuries caused by falls, the medical staff at the stadium will first rinse and clean the wound with saline or distilled water. The main purpose is to reduce the amount of sand and foreign matter mixed in the wound, prevent subsequent wound infection or traumatic tattoos. Occasionally, deeper lacerations require surgical sutures, and the medical station can also provide initial wound bandaging and hemostasis. Most runners can return to the track and continue their activities after initial treatment, but we still hope that everyone can do their best.

 **傷害2／水泡**

Common blisters occur on the heels, forefoot, and toes, which are mainly caused by repeated local friction over a long period of time during road running. It is recommended to choose suitable jogging shoes with loose front ends and fitted ankles; choose socks of appropriate thickness and good moisture absorption and perspiration properties to fit the soles of the feet to avoid friction and bacterial growth; or add breathable tape or bandages to avoid direct friction between the shoes and the skin.

 **傷害3／乳頭摩擦**

Dr. Wang Anyi pointed out that according to foreign research, about 30% of women will suffer from breast pain when jogging. It is recommended to choose suitable sports bras to provide breast support, especially for women with larger breasts, to reduce the pulling and discomfort caused by shaking when jogging. Male runners often suffer nipple breakage and bleeding due to the friction of clothes swinging while running. It is recommended to use breathable tape, band-aids, chest stickers, or apply oily ointment such as Vaseline to reduce friction.

 **傷害4／抽筋**

Be sure to reserve time for warm-up and do stretching exercises before jogging. For events that are longer than normal road running distances, you should increase the jogging distance intermittently during practice to avoid sudden challenges that may cause excessive muscle fatigue.

 **傷害5／熱中暑、熱衰竭**

Start replenishing water a few days before jogging, avoid consuming alcoholic and caffeinated beverages, and replenish water during the event mainly to quench your thirst. Do not replenish too little or too much water to avoid electrolyte imbalance. Sugary drinks or sports drinks can speed up fluid replenishment.

 **傷害6／心跳停止**

If you have a risk of heart disease, such as family history, smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, unexplained sudden death in the family, congenital heart structural abnormalities, etc., you should ask a doctor to assess the risk and avoid strenuous exercise or challenging competitions that are too long compared to your normal training distance.

In addition, Dr. Wang Anyi also recommended that the public learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation so that they can identify a runner who has fainted and whose heart has stopped beating, and provide chest compressions before professionals arrive at the scene. Medical stations should also be equipped with an automated external defibrillator (AED) to assess heart rhythm immediately, thus increasing survival and reducing the chances of tragedy.