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Jock Itch Caused By Sweating

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Jock itch is a condition that unfortunately plagues many who comes from humid countries, such as my daugther. It usually happens as a result of sweating. Whether you are young or old, tall or short, this fungal skin infection can inflict just about anyone. Most commonly, the locations that it occurs are the moist warm parts of the body such as the insides of your arms, genital areas, inner thighs or buttocks. With this condition, small rashes are formed in small ringed shapes.

Jock itch is also called tinea cruris. It is related to athlete’s foot and even ringworm found on the scalp because it is often the same type of fungus. In fact, that athlete’s foot could have somehow made its way to what is housed within your jockey shorts. You are at greater risk of developing jock itch if you sweat a lot and are obese. A compromised immune system also makes you more susceptible. Although it is known to be a serious condition, jock itch can cause you a great deal of discomfort due to the itch.

Areas where your sweat glands are located tend to be the affected areas. You experience an itching and burning sensation, causing you to scratch. The affected areas become red and you develop a rash. Due to your itching and scratching, the skin around the affected areas could eventually crack or peel, like lizard skin, worsening the condition by inducing another round of itching and scratching. Engaging in activities where you might sweat will aggravate the jock itch just as much as wearing tight clothing.

The little fungi that cause jock itch are called dermatophytes. These are normal residents of your skin. However, with wet and sweaty conditions, these residents thrive and breed even faster, causing more irritation. What happens to create a jock itchy friendly environment is that excessive sweating washes away the natural oils of the skin which repel the fungus growth. They usually do not cause any problems when their surrounding conditions are dry and clean.

If your jock itch does not improve within a few weeks or you get a fever along with pronounced redness and swelling, then you will need to consult a doctor. Obviously, the best way of reducing a chance to developing this condition is to practise good hygiene. Take a bath or shower every day and dry completely before putting on clothing. When exercising, use a towel to keep dry. Most importantly, refrain from sharing other people’s exercise equipment and change your shorts frequently.

Jun

16

Skin Infections: Viral and Parasitic

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With the June holidays on, my kids have been going outdoors to play quite a bit in parks and fields. I always insist that they’ve got their footwear on during such trips. While it seems a romantic idea to be in close contact with Mother Earth, my concern has always been that they can easily pick up a skin infection through their exposed feet. Perhaps, my personal sensitivities to grass which can cause me to itch severely, serve to heighten my anxiety with my kids.

Well, today’s post is on skin infections. Not just with the feet, personal hygiene factors and strengthening immune system can play a part in the risks of developing skin diseases. There are many kinds of skin infections and they can be caused by a virus or a parasite. Common viral skin infections include cold sores, herpes zoster (shingles) and warts; while common parasitic skin infections include creeping eruption, lice and scabies.

Viral Skin Infections:

You would be probably familiar with the term cold sores, as it is an infliction suffered by many. Cold sores are caused by herpes simplex virus. They are tiny blisters formed around the mouth. A change in weather or a lowered immunity can bring about an outbreak of herpes simplex virus. The condition usually starts with a tingling sensation on the lips, before erupting into intense itching.

Shingles is also known as Herpes Zoster. It is an infection that involves the formation of blisters that can grow anywhere on the body. This condition can cause much misery as pain resulting from it can last for months. You are at greater risk to developing shingles if your immune system is weak and if you are over 50 years of age. Symptoms of shingles include skin sensitivity or pain in the area where the rash developed. It is also possible to get small, pitted scars after the blisters turned yellow and dry. Additional early warning signs of this skin infection include fever, headache and tummy upset.

Warts are caused by a virus. It is easy to mistake them to be cancerous; in reality, they are not. Children are very susceptible to getting warts. This usually happens when they walk bare footed outdoors. Warts are contagious; they can be spread by skin-to-skin contact. There are different types of warts, common, foot, flat, genital and filiform.

Parasitic Skin Infections:

Parasites and worms can easily burrow into your skin and lay eggs there. In fact, creeping eruption is caused by hookworms. Sometimes, you can detect this skin infection by a winding rash caused by the hookworm burrowing into a tract. The parasite is spreadable via contact with the feces of cats and dogs who have hookworms. Symptoms include severe itching of the feet, legs, back or buttock regions with this condition.

Lice are tiny insects that can infest the skin anywhere on the body. You will be dismayed to find out that you can have them on your head or even in the pubic area. Lice are highly contagious. They spread easily with close body contact, sharing of clothes or other personal care items like hairbrushes, towels and combs. Head lice are a common occurence in school aged kids, and in childcare environments. The eggs of lice are called nits. Believe me: It takes forever to get rid of them if your kid has unfortunately caught them from someone! Body lice are seen most often on those who practice poor personal hygiene. Pubic lice is contagious; transmitting easily by sexual contact with an infected person, or sharing personal care items with someone who has public lice.

Scabies are caused by mites which are microscopic insects. This infection is usually spread from one person to another through sleeping together and with close personal contact. Symptoms may take up to six weeks to manifest after contact and can appear anywhere on the body as well. Symptoms include itching, rash with small pimples or red bumps. The advanced symptoms include scaly or crusty skin. Scabies is fortunately treatable.

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