Jock Itch

What Are the Symptoms?

The symptom of jock itch is usually itching associated with a red rash. This rash often has a little bit of scaling around the edges, and occurs in the groin and scrotum areas. It is commonly seen in sports people because the associated body heat and sweating provides an ideal medium for fungus infections to grow and thrive. It is also common in men who are overweight or obese.

How Is It Treated?

This condition is usually effectively treated by applying an antifungal cream topically twice daily for a couple of weeks. In more severe cases antifungal medication can be taken orally. It is important to try to minimise scratching as this can lead to bacterial infection of the skin, which may need treatment with antibiotics. In this regard keeping the fingernails short and clean is essential. As a condition it is not contagious and it is fine to continue with all athletic activities. It is also helpful to wear cotton underwear and avoid tight-fitting trousers so that the area can breathe.

What Can I Do to Avoid Getting It?

  • Wear cotton underwear.
  • Avoid tight-fitting trousers.
  • Make sure to dry yourself carefully after a shower or bath, particularly in the groin area and around the testicles.
  • If you are overweight (BMI greater than 25) then lose weight.
  • Be aware of the fact that fungi can thrive in damaged skin. So take care with soaps and shampoos that can potentially irritate the skin. Nonperfumed soaps are best.

Athlete’s Foot

This is a yeast or fungus infection that affects the feet. Again it is very common, particularly in feet that are warm and sweaty.

Athlete’s foot often presents with foot odour. It can also cause itching, classically between the fourth and fifth toes, with the space between these toes being red and scaly. As the infection spreads it can cause itching and scaling on other areas of the foot. Anybody can get athlete’s foot but it is particularly common in people who play sport, who suffer from sweaty feet or who spend large amounts of time wearing plastic shoes or runners, which can cause the feet to get warm and sweaty. Canadian pharmacy cialis

Sometimes the infection can spread and involve the nails of the feet. This can result in discoloration of the nail, which can look yellowish, brownish or green, with the nail becoming thickened and sometimes more crumbly in appearance.

The diagnosis of a fungal nail infection can be confirmed by getting your doctor to send a nail clipping to the laboratory to have it analysed for the presence of fungus.

Treatment

Athlete’s foot usually responds quite well to the use of antifungal creams. The foot must also be allowed to ‘breathe’ as much as possible by avoiding wearing runners and tight shoes and by wearing flip flops in the evenings. Fungal nail infection, when confirmed, generally requires treatment with antifungal medication for at least three months.