Dry skin with red patches and ringworm infection

Ringworm can develop on the skin, groin and hands, among other places on the body. Ringworm is considered to be a skin infection. This infection occurres due to a fungus. When the itch is experienced in the area of the groin, the medical term is jock itch. Both men and women can be affected by jock itch but it is a lot more often seen in men. Athlete’s foot is another fungal infection which can lead to development of jock itch as the infection spreads from the leg to the groin.

Skin Affected by Ringworms

The main cause of ringworm is a fungus whose habitat is the top layer of the skin and hair. Some of the best places where this fungi flourishes are warm and moist areas like locker rooms and swimming pools. Skin folds can be a good place for this fungus to grow as well.

Experts warn people that this fungus infection is highly contagious and it spreads from one person to another after skin to ski contact most often. Animals can also be infected with ringworm so a person can contract it when he or she gets in touch with an infected animal. Apart from skin to skin contact, other ways of getting infected include sharing towels, clothing and especially sports gear.

Ringworm infection can be detected by looking out for certain signs. The most commonly seen sign is a strong itchy rash. The rash often has the shape of a ring but that is not always the situation. In other patients the rash will just be red and itchy.

If the ringworm infects the hands, they will appear like athlete’s foot. The palms will become thick, dry and scaly and the skin between the fingers will feel moist. Apart from that, a person may develop open sores.

The diagnosis is made by the doctor after he or she has looked at the scraping of the rash under the microscope.

Ringworm infection is not hard to treat and the treatment plan consists most often of application of certain creams that the doctor will prescribe. Certain creams can even be purchased without the prescription. The rash will go away soon after using the cream but it is essential that the patient does not stop applying it for as long as either the doctor advised them or the label says. This step is vital in order for the infection not to recur. Creams do not work with every patient and some need to be prescribed with certain pills that will destroy the fungus. Treating ringworm infection is vital because otherwise a patient may develop blisters and cracks that can easily get infected with bacteria. In these situations a person will need to take certain antibiotics.

Ringworm infection can be prevented if a person sticks to certain steps. Not sharing clothing, sports gear, towels and sheets is of great significance. When in locker rooms a person should always have slippers or sandals on and never walk barefooted. A proper shower should be taken after contact sports. Changing socks and underwear once every day is a good way to prevent getting infected with ringworm. Clothes should not be put on for as long as the skin is wet. Experts advise that loose-fitting cotton clothing is the best clothing option.

Dry Patches on the Skin

Only a few rashes pose a serious threat for the health, especially if they are a part of some infectious disease like chickenpox for example. A majority of rashes do not require any medical treatment and heal on their own after a short period of time. Due to this fact a lot of people do not act for the first couple of days when they get the rash in order to see whether it will clear on its own.

Some rashes occur more often than others. The ones that are seen a lot often than other do not develop due to some infectious organisms and that is why people can treat them with the use of 1% Hydrocortisone creams that can be purchased over the counter. Moisturizing cream is used quite often in order for this problem to be solved. However, if the rash does not go away after a week of applying the cream, a person should seek medical advice.

Seborrheic dermatitis is the name of the rash that affects most adults. The scalp, forehead, brows, cheeks and external ears are the places where the symptoms of this rash will appear. The main characteristic of Seborrheic dermatitis is a scaling and red eruption.

Eczema or atopic dermatitis is usually seen in children. The affected areas will have red, itchy and weeping rashes appear on them. The inner side of elbows and the back of the knees are the two areas usually affected by eczema. Apart from these two, contact dermatitis, diaper rash, psoriasis and statis dermatitis affect people more often than any other rash.