Archive for the ‘Jock Itch’ Category

Rash

A rash indicates an abnormal change in skin color or texture. Rashes are usually caused by skin irritation, which can have many causes. A rash is any bumps or spots on the skin. The rash can be red, skin-colored, or slightly lighter or darker than skin color. Prickly heat causes rash or blotches during hot weather or in a hot environment just like a heat rash.

Hives are red welts that appear to move around on the body. They differ in size and shape and are usually very itchy. The most common cause of hives is a viral infection. There is no treatment for the virus, and the hives may last for a few weeks. You can use antihistamine medication for the itching. Sometimes bacterial infections cause hives. These are treated with antibiotics. Sometimes hives can be a sign of an allergy. This is best determined by your health care provider.

Milia/miliaria are tiny white, clear or red bumps on the skin.  These usually occur on the face and chest. Usually the white or clear ones are seen in newborns. The red ones are also called heat rash or prickly heat.

Baby acne is caused by exposure to the mother’s adult hormones. Little white dots often seen on a newborn’s nose represent an abnormal amount of normal skin oil that is a result of these hormones. Acne usually occurs between 2 and 4 weeks of age, but may appear up to 4 months after birth and can last for 12 – 18 months.

Eczema is a condition of the skin in which areas are dry, red (or darker than normal skin color), and itchy. When it goes on for a long time the areas become thickened. It is often associated with asthma and allergies, although it can often occur without either of these. Eczema often runs in families.

Cradle cap causes greasy, scaling, crusty patches on the scalp that appear in a baby’s first 3 months. It usually goes away by itself, but some cases may require treatment with medication.

Erythema toxicum can cause flat red splotches. These splotches are usually with a white, pimple-like bump in the middle and appear in up to half of all babies. These blotches rarely appear after 5 days of age, are usually gone in 7 – 14 days, and are nothing to worry about.

Most baby rashes cause no harm and go away in time on their own.

Jock Itch Tinea Cruris

Jock itch, Tinea cruris, Tinea of the groin are all phrases referring what is commonly called “jock itch”  Affecting people around the world, Jock itch is just one of superficial fungal infections of the skin, known as dermatophytes. These are some of the most common self-treatable trivial medical conditions. As opposed to more serious fungal conditions, such as candidiasis or sporotrichosis, dermatophytes are limited to the upper layer of skin.  Living there undetected they feed on the dead skin cells called keratin.  Unlike yeast infections, tinea cruris generally does not involve the scrotum or the penis.  It is very common and affects men more often than women and rarely affects children.

As many as one in five Americans have a dermatophyte infection at any particular time. The most common dermatophytic infection in the United States is athlete’s foot or tinea pedis. Tinea corporis and tinea cruris are also quite common. In a large part Tinea Cruris begins as Tinea Pedis and is spread to the groin area unsuspectingly. Keeping feet clean and dry, not sharing socks or contaminated articles and wearing shower shoes goes a long way to keeping Athlete’s Foot from spreading to the genitial area.   Most experts will recommend boiling the underclothing or contaminated garments thoroughly to minimize the possibility of re-infection.

Humidity and moisture play contributing roles in the contraction of any fungal infection. The way the infection spreads is similar to the growth patterns that are seen in molds, mildew, and similar plant species.  Jock itch usually begins with mild sporadic itching in the groin. The itching can get progressively worse and become quite unbearable. The itching rash is usually found on both sides of the groin and affects the skin folds, the inner thighs and genitals. Direct skin contact raises the chances of contracting a fungal infection. Humans are far more likely to contract a fungal infection or ringworm from places like a school, playground, gym, or shower facilities.

Tinea of the groin, Jock itch or Tinea cruris tends to have a reddish-brown color and to extend from the folds of the groin down onto one or both thighs. Other conditions that can be confused with Tinea cruris include yeast infections, psoriasis, and intertrigo, a chafing rash which results from the skin rubbing against the skin. Persons with atopic dermatitis, which is a persistent inherited skin affliction characterized by itchy, inflamed rashes on the skin may also be more susceptible to contracting jock itch.