Saddle diseases almost inevitably occur among serious cyclists to varying degrees. If treated proactively, the sores of the ulcers should only be short-term hiccups. Left uncontrolled, saddle ulcers can progress to legitimate medical and / or surgical emergencies requiring prescription drugs and painful procedures. Therefore, it is extremely important to solve these problems when they first arise.
What is pain in the saddle?
“Saddle disease” is a vague term that means different things to different people. It can mean anything: from a terrible life-threatening infection of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, just feeling the bruises from a long hard day in the saddle. For our purposes, we will treat the wounds of the saddle as the actual visible damage to the skin and / or subcutaneous tissues of the body area in contact with the bicycle saddle or seat. Diseases of the saddle are found in two main variants: skin destruction (for example, irritation and ulcers) and subcutaneous lesions (for example, boils, carbuncles, boils, abscesses, and other "lumps").
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
The best way to deal with saddle sores is not to get them first. Here is a list of 10 things a cyclist can do to prevent saddle ulcers:
- Bike fit is ONE MOST IMPORTANT indicator you can take to prevent saddle sores and general discomfort on the bike. If you are a serious fitness, leisure or competitive cyclist, you owe it to yourself to pay for a professional session. I ask you at a local bike shop.
- Cycling shorts - There are only a few pieces of equipment on the bike, where, reliably speaking, you should not spend any money. Shorts for high-quality bike will have a lining for the mold (i.e. "suede lining") in the crotch area, made of COOLMAX or a similar material based on polyester. This material is designed to remove moisture, provide a cushion, provide airflow and prevent chopping.
- A saddle - a quality saddle or bicycle seat has an obvious meaning when it comes to the comfort of your rear. Saddles have many shapes, sizes, thicknesses and types of cushions and designs. Since no two pelvis are the same, try as many saddles as possible before settling for the right one for you. Many stores have programs where you can test a few saddles before you buy. Some manufacturers have models of different widths that can fit your specific pelvic measurements (for example, body geometry by specialists). You may be surprised to find that the most artisanal and widest saddles are often the most uncomfortable.
- The skin is clean and dry your mantra when you are not traveling. Always try to take off your shorts as soon as possible after riding. Go to the shower as soon as possible. If you do not have an active sore or irritation, then insure yourself after a shower so that your crotch will dry before putting on your underwear.
- Underwear - between the rides, wear light underwear, which provide maximum air flow and do not contribute to the formation of moisture (cotton is king here).
- Laundry - do not wear shorts twice without washing them off! Cleanliness is important when it comes to preventing pain in the saddle.
- Shutdowns and tinctures - Older school racers swear by drenching their most delicate areas with isopropyl alcohol, increasing their early mileage, thinking that it tightens their skin. If you can resist the sting, it will certainly help dry your lower areas after a shower after the train. Be wary, it hurts and cannot be absolutely necessary.
- Inspection - take a look at your crotch several times. Look for areas of wear, redness and small bumps. You may be surprised at what you find! Some of these spots can be quite asymptomatic, so you only find out what they are if you look. Pay close attention to the "small bumps", as they can grow to large furuncles and abscesses. The best remedy for these small bumps or raped areas is bike free time or reduced mileage. You can also try different ointments available in the market.
- Recreation. Just as your body needs rest to accommodate the training load, your crotch takes time off the bike.
- Cream cream - either you use it or not. Most people become familiar users when they try to do this. Creams of suede were originally created for conditioning pads when they were made from real animal skins. Nowadays, cream is essentially used to reduce the friction between the rider's skin and the suede pad. Some brands use botanical ingredients to inhibit the growth of bacteria and fungi. These are the microbes that are the great culprits of non-healing sore saddles. Beware of brands that use mineral oil and silicone, as they can destroy modern pads for skins and clog the airflow properties of the material used in suede cushions.
Treatment of saddle ulcers
Areas of minor skin destruction can usually heal quickly with a short-term decrease in ride volume or, better yet, complete rest. Skin coverings should be cleaned with simple soap and water twice a day. Avoid hydrogen peroxide and isopropyl alcohol, as they can interfere with normal wound healing. A topical ointment, such as Neosporin (or another anti-fungal anti-fungal ointment), can speed the healing process.
Impacts or constricted knots under the skin, as a rule, are more serious disease than breakage of the skin. In addition, these lesions can be very painful. If at all possible, a full break from driving is the best way to a quick and unprecedented recovery. As above, clean the area twice a day. Although ointments can soothe subcutaneous lesions, most of them are very small to speed up the healing process, as they cannot penetrate the skin deep enough to reach the area of concern. For subcutaneous lesions that produce strong drainage and areas associated with fever or intense reddening, consult a doctor. In some cases, antibiotics and surgical drainage of these lesions may be required.
*** You must seek medical attention if:
1. You have noticed an area of intense replacement and redness around ANY saddle sore.
2. You develop a fever associated with a saddle sore.
3. Your saddle became sick with worms after treatment, as indicated above.
4. You develop drainage of thick material or pus from a saddle sore.
