Dermatophytosis is a common skin disease in adults and children. At the same time, the definition of the disease can be complicated by the fact that the symptoms of the disease are similar to the external manifestations of other pathologies of the epidermis. Doctors divide the disease according to the place of localization. Allocate dermatophytosis of the inguinal, scalp, hands, feet. Treatment of the disease is complex and long. It is impossible to start with medical intervention. Otherwise, the disease will quickly turn into a chronic form, and it will become much more difficult to get rid of the problem.
Risk group
In general, fungal skin pathology affects people of both sexes and all ages. However, it is among men that inguinal dermatophytosis is much more common. There are many causes of the disease. These include frequent physical activity, visiting a bath or sauna, increased sweating, resulting in ideal conditions for the reproduction of the fungus.
Doctors additionally include people with overweight and various endocrine diseases as a risk group. In women, inguinal dermatophytosis is much less common. Of the total number of patients, they account for no more than 25%. Children practically do not suffer from the disease, but sometimes the disease affects them too.
In people over the age of 65, the disease is more common. In this case, about 50% of men and women are susceptible to fungal infection.
Reasons
The main cause of the disease is the action of fungal microorganisms of the Microsporum canis group. Doctors distinguish about 30 types of pathogenic mycoses. Depending on the habitat, they are divided into zoophilic, geophilic and anthropophilic.
In the first case, human infection occurs only after contact with a sick animal.
The second types of fungal infections live in the soil, so summer residents are often included in the risk group in summer.
Anthropophilic microorganisms are transmitted from person to person. Often, it is they who lead to the emergence of an epidemic of fungal diseases, including inguinal dermatophytosis.
Different types
There are now three different types of disease. Depending on the variation, the doctor prescribes a specific course of treatment.
Typical variety has severe symptoms. The skin on the scrotum and inner thighs is covered with outlined brownish rashes. In this case, peeling, itching may begin over time. The edges of the rash slightly increase in size when compared with areas of the skin not affected by the fungus. There are times when the disease subsides on its own. There are no reasons for joy in this case. The fact is that, under certain conditions, the rate of reproductionthe fungus will increase many times, resulting in a strong aggravation.
Complicated inguinal dermatophytosis is difficult to treat. In this case, problems arise due to the fact that the patient is taking hormonal drugs. That is why many classical methods of eliminating the disease are powerless.
The lichenoid type of fungal infection is distinguished. It is often accompanied by unbearable itching. As a result, the area of the affected areas of the body increases many times over. Visually, this disease strongly resembles psoriasis.
Diagnosis
The doctor can determine the cause of the disease and begin treatment only after a full range of diagnostic procedures. In this case, one visual control is not enough. Laboratory tests will help identify the type of fungus that caused the damage to the area of \u200b\u200bthe body.
To determine the type of pathogen, culture, Wood's lamp or microscopy are used. In the first case, the doctor takes a skin sample from the affected area of the body and places it in a special environment. During diagnostics using a Wood's lamp, the patient is placed in a dark room and a glow with a certain wavelength is turned on. If the symptoms are caused by a fungus, the infected area will glow green. With microscopy, a more detailed examination of the tissue sample takes place. Most often, three presented methods are used to identify the causes of dermatophytosis of the inguinal region.
Symptoms
As mentioned above, the main symptomsis a change in skin color and severe itching. For inguinal dermatophytosis, the appearance of small blisters is also characteristic. However, this symptom appears only in the complete absence of adequate treatment. The fact is that such symptoms are also characteristic of erythrasma. Treatment methods for the disease are different. Therefore, it is impossible to make a diagnosis on your own.
Treatment
Diagnosis and treatment of inguinal dermatophytosis can only be prescribed by a doctor of appropriate qualification. The drug method of eliminating the disease is divided into two types: general and local. The first class includes a variety of oral preparations. For example, it is not uncommon for patients to be prescribed the use of antihistamines. Ointments containing a small amount of sulfur or tar will help speed up the healing process of affected areas of the skin.
They have a complex effect.
- First, the compounds kill the fungus. Ointments can quickly relieve severe itching of the skin (a symptom of inguinal dermatophytosis).
- Secondly, topical preparations prevent the growth of microbial populations. They create an environment that is impossible for the further reproduction of the fungus, and minimize the risk of infecting other areas of the skin.
- Thirdly, the substances contribute to the rapid necrosis of the affected tissue of the epidermis. The skin begins to peel off, in its place, areas already unaffected by the fungus appear.
The use of ointments for drug treatment should be done with alternating drugs. This condition is necessarycomply with mandatory. Some types of fungi are resistant to ointments. As a result, the environment, which should limit their growth, becomes almost ideal for the formation of new spores. The recommended course of therapy for each topical product is no more than 1 week.
Folk remedies
You should not use the time-tested, but outdated methods of treating the disease, but many people prefer folk remedies. This ailment occurs in the intimate parts of the body, so many patients are simply embarrassed to seek medical help. Therefore, sometimes they resort to various methods of traditional medicine. In this case, it is customary to use various lotions based on medicinal herbs. In particular, they use aloe juice, celandine. Often they make compresses with mustard.
It is highly undesirable to use folk remedies in this situation. The fact is that the disease is often confused with other ailments. In some cases, the use of herbs and decoctions will help relieve signs of the disease, but it is impossible to completely cure a fungal infection by these methods.
Forecasts
In most cases, once diagnosed and treated, the prognosis is good. Inguinal dermatophytosis in women can occur with certain complications. Often, in a neglected form, the infection spreads to the labia minora. As a result, therapy only becomes more complicated. The appearance of characteristic blisters (for advanced stages of the disease) can lead toscarring of the skin.
Hygiene in case of illness
For a speedy recovery, it is necessary to correlate the treatment of the disease with the methods of one's own hygiene. This will localize the affected areas and eliminate the risk of spreading the fungal infection to other areas. The advice in this case is simple.
- Firstly, you can not use hygiene products with a high content of any phosphates. This also applies to the restriction of the use of deodorants with fragrances.
- Secondly, for the affected areas of the body, it is recommended to use only baby soft soap with a neutral pH. It will have a drying effect, increase the healing rate.
- Thirdly, it is important to carefully approach the choice of clothing. The fact is that it is better to use only natural fabrics (linen or cotton). They are well breathable, allowing the skin to breathe. Naturally, this reduces overheating and humidity.
- Fourth, wash your personal towel frequently.
- Fifth, it is better to clean underwear from contaminants by boiling. Heat treatment will destroy the fungus.
As you can see, there are many measures, but they must be strictly observed. This will increase the speed of recovery. Infected people should never wear tight trousers. Such clothes can locally increase the temperature of the human body and create favorable conditions for the reproduction of fungi.
Often, the disease worsens again after treatment. Whenfrequent relapses on an ongoing basis should use a variety of antifungal powders. Of course, doing them every day will not work, but at least once a week it is worth using.
Prevention
This fungal disease is easier to prevent in the bud than to cure. Therefore, it is enough to follow certain preventive measures. For example, it is highly discouraged to visit public baths and saunas frequently. The quality of processing the premises there often leaves much to be desired, so it is easy to get infected with a fungus. For men and women who work out at the gym, showering as often as possible is recommended.
Results
Inguinal dermatophytosis is a disease that is difficult to treat and diagnose. Good personal hygiene will minimize the risk of infection.
