This is a type of skin infection that affects many. It is called by many names like jock itch, ringworm, दाद (in hindi) and many more. The desire to itch is uncontrollable and can often be embarrassing in public places. This easily manageable disease has become a menace nowadays due to widespread misconception and ignorance about its cause and treatment. So let’s understand what exactly is it and how to manage it.
What is it?
It is exactly a fungal infection caused by a superficial fungus. This dermatophyte infection is called as Tinea. It can affect any site on skin and can also involve hair and nails. On skin it can infect areas like face, beard, arms, legs, trunk, etc, i.e., literally everywhere. Most commonly it is seen in areas which are warm and moist, like, groins, armpits and in females additionally in there breast folds.
A warm and humid atmosphere favors its development, thus it is more commonly seen in summers or rainy season. However nowadays due to its changing nature it is present round the year. In people with diabetes, HIV infection, or taking immunosuppressive drugs, the chances of getting infected increases and also it spreads rapidly. This infection can spread from one person to another if they share towels, clothes, handkerchiefs, etc.
As far as how it happens in a person is concerned, there is no specific reason for it. It is an infection and you can get it from some other person, or if you wear tight fitting clothes or shoes for long time, if you work in some hot and humid environment or if you stay at a place which has such atmosphere you can get infected. Your eating habits however have no role in it.
Once it happens, it presents as a ring like infection which spreads on the periphery and involves larger areas. It starts as a small reddish area on skin and then spreads. It is extremely itchy, and itching can also lead to formations of boils in the area.
What to Do?
If you get ringworm, consult a dermatologist, follow the instructions and take proper treatment.
The main reasons for this infection not getting treated properly or spreading over larger areas are;
1. Self treatment:
NEVER apply any cream or ointment on the ringworm without a consultation of a certified dermatologist. This is the most common blunder patients do. They go to a drug store, get an over the counter available cream and start using it. Or they consult someone who is not a qualified dermatologist and get wrong creams and apply them. Also some people apply topical irritants like lotions which are very ZALIM or have dithranol in them.
So what are these creams and what is wrong in them?
These creams/ointments contain a mixture of drugs. The worst ingredient is steroids, like, clobetasol, betamethasone, flucinolone, triamcinolone, etc. These creams when applied give a quick relief. Your infection seems to disappear within a week. But no, it has not treated anything, it has just hidden it. As you stop applying the cream, the infection gets worse, is redder, itchier and spreads rapidly. Also these creams harm your skin. They make the skin thin and you can get very bad stretch marks in these areas.
Additionally they make the infection more difficult to treat. If you consult a dermatologist and have been applying such cream before, as you start the treatment the infection flares up and you feel that medication is not working.
NEVER APPLY SUCH CREAMS.
2. Improper treatment:
The next mistake patients often do is not taking treatment for adequate duration. They do the right thing by consulting a dermatologist, but they stop treatment after taking it for 15 to 20 days. It is because they get relieved of the infection and they think now its treated and there is no need to further continue the treatment. But it is not so. The fungus takes a longer time to get completely treated. From looking at the skin it might feel treated but it is still present in layers of skin and when there are no antifungal drugs to control it, it grows again.
So it is generally advised to take treatment for at least 6 to 8 weeks.
When you visit your dermatologist he would prescribe you proper antifungal treatment which would help you get rid of this infection.
Recurrence
The main problem with fungal infection is recurrence. Even after taking adequate treatment of 6 to 8 weeks from a dermatologist, you may see after 6 months to 1 year that the infection recurs. Well it is the nature of the disease. When the fungus gets favorable conditions like warmth and humidity it starts to grow again. However if you are careful and follow the DO’s given below it might not recur. If it does recur, take adequate treatment again.
DO's
1. Always consult a certified dermatologist and take adequate treatment.
2. The topical antifungal needs to be applied on the entire affected are plus two centimeters outside on the normal skin.
3. Take bath after activities which result in excessive sweating and pat yourself dry carefully after taking bath.
4. Towels, undergarments, napkins, handkerchiefs should be washed in hot water, sundried, ironed and then worn. Dry them inside out.
5. Change your socks regularly.
6. Avoid wearing tight undergarments. In males, boxer shorts are preferably to the conventional V shaped underwear. Cotton loose clothing is preferred.
7. Avoid jeans/jeggings/leggings and other tight clothing.
8. It is important that all contacts including the family members and people having similar conditions in the work place are treated correctly and completely for the fungal infections. If your contacts are left untreated, you may contact the infection again.
DONT's
1. Never do self treatment.
2. Never apply steroid creams.
3. Avoid sharing towels, clothes, etc. with infected persons.
