What Is Jock Itch? 

Jock itch is simply a benignant of fungal corruption that affects the groin area, interior thighs, and buttocks. It’s besides known arsenic tinea cruris, oregon ringworm of the groin (tinea is the aesculapian word for ringworm).e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629f260ac10-df10-4f3c-a3ab-e430484876b9 Jock itch is highly treatable with over-the-counter (OTC) medication. Although jock itch gets its sanction due to the fact that it’s communal successful athletes, the information is besides experienced by radical who sweat a batch oregon who are overweight. While jock itch is acold overmuch much communal among men, owed to the proximity of the scrotum to the thigh and the resulting friction and susceptibility to moisture, women tin besides beryllium affected.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629c2a13cbb-fe3c-4fcc-887b-79e2fb9de3c6 Although it tin beryllium uncomfortable, jock itch usually isn’t serious. Treatment whitethorn impact keeping the groin country cleanable and adust and applying topical antifungal medications to the affected skin. Signs and Symptoms of Jock Itch Symptoms Symptoms typically look betwixt 4 and 14 days aft the tegument comes successful interaction with the fungi that origin ringworm.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976297ece0e14-b8fe-444f-ba80-1fa550c6caa1 Jock itch often begins with a reddened country of tegument successful the crease successful the groin, and it usually does not impact the scrotum oregon penis. It often spreads to the precocious thigh successful a half-moon shape. The rash whitethorn beryllium ring-shaped and bordered with a enactment of tiny blisters. It whitethorn pain oregon consciousness itchy, and the tegument whitethorn beryllium flaky oregon scaly.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629fb057b13-a86e-478d-aa4a-63b33e15c506 In lighter tegument colors, the progressive borderline of a ringworm corruption whitethorn beryllium immoderate shadiness of pinkish oregon red; successful tegument of intermediate color, heavy red, maroon, oregon purple; and successful darker skin, the borderline whitethorn beryllium subtle, oregon it whitethorn look purple oregon grayish. Causes and Risk Factors of Jock Itch Causes Jock itch is caused by a radical of fungi called dermatophytes. These fungi people unrecorded connected your tegument and usually don’t origin problems.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629f3b13f4a-d6c2-495c-8a57-53cb6850def1 However, these fungi multiply rapidly erstwhile exposed to moisture implicit an extended play of clip (for example, erstwhile you stay successful sweat-soaked apparel aft exercising). This overgrowth of dermatophytes successful the groin country causes the corruption known arsenic jock itch.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629caf67661-25f2-44c8-8c6a-908a9d78331d The fungus that causes jock itch is highly contagious. You tin get it done adjacent idiosyncratic interaction with an infected idiosyncratic oregon done skin-to-skin contact. The fungus tin besides beryllium dispersed done interaction with the unwashed covering of an infected person. Jock itch is often caused by the aforesaid fungus that causes athlete’s foot.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762919efff4d-d817-46a4-a2a4-6b89b515c3ed The corruption often spreads from the feet to the groin due to the fact that the fungus tin question connected your hands oregon connected a towel. You tin besides dispersed the corruption by pulling up your underwear oregon pants if the waistband gets contaminated with the fungus from your feet. Certain hazard factors whitethorn marque you much susceptible to jock itch. These include:e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976294f128259-e3f5-4ac9-9f53-e485d3e98e5a Being antheral Being a teen oregon young big Wearing choky underwear Being overweight Sweating heavy Having a weakened immune strategy Having diabetes People who are obese are astatine an accrued hazard for jock itch due to the fact that of their moisture-trapping skinfolds. If you person diabetes, your hazard of jock itch is accrued successful 2 ways: the excess sweetener emitted successful your sweat provides nutrient for fungus, and your immune strategy is not arsenic beardown successful general, making you much astatine hazard for communal tegument infections. People with compromised immune systems, specified arsenic those who person HIV oregon AIDS, hepatitis, chronic illnesses, oregon cancer, are besides much prone to jock itch.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629d054e55f-8e09-415f-bc1f-ed1360e1b9ac You whitethorn besides beryllium much prone to the corruption if you are taking immunosuppressive drugs, specified arsenic prednisone (Deltasone). Those connected biologic immune-system modifying drugs specified arsenic infliximab (Remicade) oregon etanercept (Enbrel) are besides astatine a higher risk.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629b31ba121-45fa-4fe6-a84d-80d361239d24 How Is Jock Itch Diagnosed? Diagnosis Your healthcare supplier tin usually diagnose jock itch based connected however your tegument looks. Rarely, doctors whitethorn instrumentality a tiny scraping of your tegument to look astatine nether a microscope. Tests are usually not necessary. If tests are needed, they whitethorn include:e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629115c8c93-7035-4ce7-aadd-553deb407033 A elemental bureau trial called a KOH exam to cheque for fungus Skin civilization A tegument biopsy , performed with a peculiar stain called periodic acid–Schiff (PAS) to place fungus and yeast Prognosis of Jock Itch Jock itch usually doesn’t spell distant connected its own, but it tin beryllium easy treated and cured. Jock itch usually responds promptly to treatment. It is often little terrible than different tinea infections, specified arsenic athlete’s foot, but whitethorn past a agelong time.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629ae5c7d03-7ec0-4ae6-bddf-40ac6aa695b2 Duration of Jock Itch Duration With due treatment, jock itch should wide up successful 3 to 4 weeks. If you don’t dainty it, jock itch tin past for months. This corruption often comes backmost much than once, particularly if you besides person fungal infections connected your feet oregon toenails. Treatment and Medication Options for Jock Itch Treatment Jock itch tin usually beryllium treated with nonprescription antifungal creams, lotions, oregon powders applied to the tegument for 2 to 4 weeks. The nonprescription products disposable to dainty ringworm include:e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762918cf0867-079e-4c58-9a64-3b1f2482d50d clotrimazole (Mycelex Troche) miconazolel terbinafine (LamISIL) ketoconazole (Nizoral) If you are not responding to over-the-counter medications, your doc whitethorn prescribe thing stronger, including these topical medications: econazole oxiconazole (Oxistat) You whitethorn besides beryllium prescribed 1 of these oral medications: fluconazole (Diflucan) itraconazole (Sporanox) If you thin to get jock itch, you should proceed to use antifungal oregon drying powders aft bathing to assistance forestall reoccurrence. Prevention of Jock Itch Practicing bully hygiene is the champion defence against jock itch. Regular hand-washing tin greatly trim your hazard of getting this corruption from idiosyncratic else. It’s besides important to support your tegument cleanable and dry, particularly the country astir your groin. You should besides debar tight-fitting covering that tin further summation your hazard of jock itch. Wearing loose-fitting clothing, particularly successful blistery and humid weather, tin forestall sweat from creating the warm, moist situation successful which the fungus thrives. Be definite to lavation your workout apparel aft each usage and don’t stock clothing, towels, oregon idiosyncratic items with others. To debar spreading athlete’s ft to your groin area, don’t usage the aforesaid towel you usage connected your feet for your groin. Putting socks connected earlier underwear tin besides assistance forestall you spreading nail and ft fungus (athlete’s feet) to the groin area. Complications of Jock Itch Complications Complications are uncommon, but you whitethorn acquisition 1 of the following:e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629040d9bca-a699-42ee-b262-3e21b113d6e4 Rash that spreads past the groin and onto the thighs, genitals, and buttocks Secondary tegument infections, specified arsenic cellulitis oregon abscess enactment from scratching oregon rubbing Temporary tegument discoloration Research and Statistics: How Common Is Jock Itch? Research and Statistics Some studies estimation that 20 to 25 percent of the world’s colonisation is affected by a superficial fungal corruption of the tegument oregon nails astatine immoderate fixed time.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762938251be3-7984-44d5-88ba-bf217797ab76 And astir radical make astatine slightest 1 benignant of ringworm corruption astatine immoderate constituent successful their lives. Conditions Related to Jock Itch Related Conditions Diseases that whitethorn mimic jock itch include:e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976290b3383c6-7af4-4fa7-9675-d3e13a3921f5 Psoriasis A communal tegument information that speeds up the beingness rhythm of tegument cells, psoriasis results successful heavy scaly patches called plaques. These plaques, which thin to itch, burn, oregon sting, astir commonly look connected the knees, elbows, little back, oregon scalp.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976297f80634d-f579-45f8-b5cf-9afe62a44301 Allergic Contact Dermatitis (ACD) ACD is simply a communal inflammatory illness of the tegument that results successful a rash. It is caused by nonstop interaction with allergens specified arsenic nickel, poison ivy , rubber products, and paraphenylenediamine (PPDA), an constituent recovered successful imperishable hairsbreadth dyes.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629bdea9215-c014-4774-a3e6-cf98dd86ed94 Hidradenitis Suppurativa This little-known disease, often mistaken for different information (such arsenic boils, infected hairsbreadth follicles, oregon a sexually transmitted disease), causes heavy and achy lumps nether the skin, usually successful the armpits oregon groin.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629587dcacb-97b7-43d3-8a6b-878608c2ad85 Dandruff (Seborrheic Dermatitis) Dandruff , a communal information considered to beryllium a mild signifier of seborrheic dermatitis, causes the tegument connected the scalp to flake. It tin astir ever beryllium controlled with a medicated shampoo.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976296bef4070-2a1d-413c-8fd3-e996680ac78c Q & A's The Takeaway Jock itch, oregon ringworm of the groin, is simply a common, contagious fungal corruption affecting the groin and thigh country that often causes discomfort, itching, and a rash. While it’s communal successful athletes, anyone tin get jock itch, particularly if they are male, sweat a lot, person obesity, deterioration choky clothing, oregon unrecorded with different aesculapian conditions similar diabetes oregon a compromised immune system. Jock itch usually clears up successful 3 to 4 weeks, and over-the-counter and medicine lotions, creams, and powders tin assistance to soothe and dainty the rash. Staying dry, practicing bully hygiene, washing workout apparel aft each use, and avoiding sharing idiosyncratic items mightiness assistance to trim a person’s hazard of jock itch. Resources We Trust Mayo Clinic: Jock Itch: Symptoms and Causes Cleveland Clinic: Ringworm Medline Plus: Jock Itch Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Treatment for Ringworm American Academy of Dermatology Association: 8 Reasons Your Groin Itches and How to Get Relief