Abstract

Jock itch, also called tinea cruris, is more commonly known as ringworm. This article discusses the fundamental misconceptions about ringworm and its permanent solution.

What Is Jock Itch?

Jock itch, also called tinea cruris, more commonly known as ringworm, is a kind of fungal infection that frequently affects the groin area, although it can affect any part of the skin. It is called a “ringworm” because of the circular or ring-like appearance of the rashes.

As it has already been said, it is a fungal infection causing red and itchy rashes in warm and moist areas of the body. Jock itch is commonly reported among athletes. Henceforth, it is called so. But it is seen in people who sweat a lot or who are obese.

What Triggers Jock Itch?

Usually, the fungus grows and flares up very easily in areas where there is moisture, like folds of the skin, groin, buttocks, underarms, neck, back of the knees, etc. It is also seen in the parts that remain covered with clothes, especially non-cotton clothes, which do not allow proper air circulation to the parts.

Again poor hygiene maintenance in the house as well as of the person gives the fungi a better circumstance to grow.

But what most of the patients suffering from it do not know is that the infection is caused due to low immunity. The disease repelling power of the body is less, allowing such parasites to grow in our body.

How Is Jock Itch Diagnosed?

In most cases, it does not require any specific investigations to diagnose as the diagnosis is pretty clear by the typical rash and the location of the eruption.

Patient experiences severe itching, which is aggravated mostly while undressing and while going to bed. There are circular rashes with clear-cut and elevated margins, which keep increasing in area day by day. The other signs and symptoms associated with jock itch embrace:

Redness in the affected area.
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Burning sensation.
Flaking or peeling skin.
Rashes that get worse on doing exercise or any other activity.
The skin color of the affected area changes.
Rashes that do not improve or worsen over time.

Before going to the actual treatment part, let us know what we can do to keep it in check.

What Are the Ways to Keep Jock Itch Under Check?

Wear good quality clothes which are not too thick to hamper the air circulation to the skin.
Keep the skin folds clean, and in case of excessive perspiration, the clothes may need to be changed during the day.
Always wash your hands while eating or handling common utensils and food.
Take healthy food and a more nutritious diet.
Do not share your clothes, sports equipment, towels, and sheets with others.
Laundry hygiene is also very essential, so wash your clothes separately in hot water and dry them in sunlight.

Now comes the part of the treatment where most of the readers are most interested. Let me first tell you one thing. The products available in the market which are sold over the counter for the infection contain steroids and are not worth it. You may empty as many tubes as you like, but the itch will return once you stop it, as it is not a permanent solution.

How Can Jock Itch Be Treated Through Homeopathy?

What most people do not understand is that treatment of local skin eruption by a local application is not a cure. The infection is throughout the body. Treating it locally without internal medicines will just remove the skin rash for the time being, and it will return soon once the medication is stopped.

Instead, take proper internal treatment (preferably homeopathic) to treat the systemic infection, and once it is cleared, the eruption or the rashes will go on their own much faster than the creams and also will not leave any marks on the skin. The major goal of homeopathic medicines is not just to treat the symptoms but also to prevent the recurrence of the infection. Some of the common homeopathic medicines used to treat jock itch include:

Graphites:

Graphites are one of the effective natural medicines for jock itch. It is used to treat symptoms like rawness in the groin and inner thigh.

Sulfur:

Sulfur is used to treat fungal infections of the skin. It is effective in treating excessive itching and burning sensations in the affected area. This is applied directly to the area, and the rashes disappear within a day or so.

Tellurium:

Tellurium is useful when there are intersecting ring-shaped lesions along with small vesicles covering a large area on the skin.

Sepia Succus:

Sepia succus is prescribed for tinea cruris with isolated ring-shaped spots on the skin.

There are many other good medicines in homeopathy which have shown excellent results, like Bacillinum, Dulcamara, Crot-t, etc. The list does not end here. There are many other medicines that can be good in such cases. That is why instead of self-medicating, one should always seek proper homeopathic treatment with a personal consultation.

In many cases, what happens is patients try these so-called specific homeopathic medicines, and they fail to get results and leave homeopathy with the impression that it does not give results. Try to understand what happened here. They have taken homeopathic medicines according to allopathic principles, which is a big mismatch.

Conclusion:

Until the sufferer understands the importance of proper consultation, it is difficult to give them encouraging results. Most of them keep spending money on creams, ointments, and medicines heard by word of mouth and end up spending more money than they would have spent on a proper consultation. Though jock itch can be bothersome, it is usually not a serious condition, so keeping the groin area clean and dry and taking proper treatment can help alleviate the symptoms of jock itch. My strong recommendation is to consult a specialist and take proper treatment and get healthy soon.