Symptoms of jock itch

Jock itch is a fungal infection of the groin which mainly affects men. It is caused by the accumulation of microorganisms, often those known as Trichophyton ruburm, in the dead surface skin cells that also can cause a fungal infection of the toe and body.

Considering that the development and overgrowth of the fungus is caused by a humid and warm atmosphere around the skin folds in the human body, wearing sweaty clothes, tight clothes, and clothes made from synthetic fibers increases risk of developing this infection.

Under a microscope, Trichophyton rubrum is visible as transparent, branching fibers which look like hair. However, these fibers are different from hair because they have the same width along the entire fiber and the hair is thinning at the end. Also, the walls of the fungus are spongy, as opposed to hair.

Jock itch occurs in the form of an itchy skin rash on the groins consisting of red plate lesions bordered with bright red peeling edges. These edges are a little raised from the surface affected by fungus, which is mostly red-brown and less peeling. Also, the rash may spread to the buttocks and inner thighs. The good thing about this fungal infection is that it doesn’t spread to the scrotum and penis. If infection occurs in that area, the fungus Candida albicans is more likely to be the causative agent.

Groins can be affected by other infections not caused by propagation of fungi. Therefore, it is important to emphasize their differences in relation to the jock itch to make it easier to discern what kind of infection is a patient is suffering from.

In the first place there is inetrtrigo which manifests in the form of red macerated rash. This infection occurs mainly in overweight people due to the increased friction of their sweaty and wet skin folds. On the affected skin, this infection creates cracks which can be extremely painful and further infected by other kinds of fungi and bacteria.

Then, there is erythrasma, a rash that looks very similar to jock itch but is instead caused by bacteria. The difference in relation to the jock itch is that the affected skin is more brown than red without the appearance of flaking skin and blisters.

The surest way to confirm the existence of jock itch is a method that includes a physical examination, and looking at scraped samples of skin (a biopsy) under a microscope. In the lab examination process, the technician will put a few drops of potassium hydroxide onto the tissue sample. Heating the slide containing the sample and KOH, dead skin cells release fibers characteristic of jock itch. When diagnosing jock itch, additional methods such as Chlorazol Fungal Stain, Swartz Lamkins Fungal Stain, or Parker's blue ink can be used to better allocate hyphae.

Jock itch is usually treated by applying various topical antifungal creams directly to the affected area. Most of these drugs are prescribed, but there are those that can be found over the counter as well, such as tolnaftate, clotrimazole and miconazole. These creams are usually applied twice a day for at least two weeks and tend to be very effective. If a rash is accompanied by blistering at the edges, hydrocortisone cream can be of great help in clearing the fungal infection. But before its application on the groin, it is necessary to consult a doctor because steroids can lead to certain skin deterioration and thinning.

The best method for treating jock itch is its prevention. What can you do to help reduce your risk of jock itch?

Maintaining a groin environment that is as dry as possible, not allowing sweat to accumulate on this area, is very helpful. Powdering the groin every time after a shower can significantly contribute to keeping this area dry, but be aware that baby powder (talcum powder) can have some side effects as well. Wearing clothes made from cotton or materials made from natural fibers will help wick moisture from the area. Changing sweaty clothes and underwear as often as possible and washing after each use to prevent the accumulation of sweat in the groin. Not sharing clothes and towels with others.