Miners' rescue: Medical problems not over

BEYOND any injuries they may have received down in the mine from the cave itself, the main issues will be sanitary problems.

They are in relatively cramped conditions most of the time, so any illnesses related with faeces may have become an issue. I don't know exactly what their conditions down there are for that sort of thing, but presumably washing themselves thoroughly was not possible for them until they were reached by rescuers.

I was trapped in a cave myself in Sutherland when I was 15 years old, so I know from my own experience that their eyesight will be extremely sensitive once they reach the surface. Your eyes have to readjust to light above ground when they are not exposed to sunlight for a long period of time. To a much lesser extent, it is the same as when you open your eyes in the morning and are met with a burst of sunlight - it is quite dazzling.

The damp in the cave may prove a problem. When you are damp for a long time, your skin becomes thinner and is similar to the way your skin goes if you have been in a long bath. As these miners live in Chile, they also have not been exposed to sunlight for months, and in a country with strong sunlight there is a reasonable risk with a renewed exposure to the sun's rays.

As mines are artificially built, various gases can build up. If they have been exposed to gases such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and even radioactive gases, such as radon, they may find that they suffer respiratory problems. Miners are well known to have various problems that affect their lungs, usually from dust particles, such as pneumoconiosis.

One of the miners has been quoted as having run three miles every day, and it would certainly be advisable to keep active.

I am currently working in intensive care and see first hand that muscles waste away quickly. If there are some men who have not been keeping very active while trapped in the mine, they may have problems walking and using strength in their arms. There could possibly be a need for physical therapy.

• Julian Warren is a doctor for Derbyshire Cave and Rescue and a specialist trainee in accident and emergency medicine.