Tips to steer clear from jock itch

Getting jock itch is an unpleasant experience, but fortunately, it's easily preventable if you remember these simple and hygienic tips!

"Jock itch" might as well be called "athlete's groin," because it's caused by the same fungus that causes athlete's foot.

• And just as with that embarrassing itchy foot condition, you don't have to be an athlete to get it.
• Sweaty workouts, mowing the lawn and even failing to dry off well after a shower all cause the moist conditions that let this fungus, which is naturally present on skin, thrive.

• itchy skin in your groin area, buttocks, or inner thighs
• a rash with slightly raised, brownish-red patches of dry, scaly or bumpy skin.Note: Jock itch usually doesn't occur on the penis or scrotum, but it can extend to the lower abdomen in severe cases.

Here are a few tips and tricks to ensure that you do all you can to avoid getting this easily preventable fungal infection.

• Take a shower or bath every day. After a workout, change out of sweaty clothes (including underwear) and shower as soon as you can. Carefully dry your genital area, buttocks, and inner thighs with a clean towel.
• Leaving skin damp gives fungus a foothold, not only because moisture encourages the fungus to multiply but also because sweat and water dilute your natural oils, which contain fungus-fighting compounds.

• Snug underwear traps moisture, so go loose with boxers and roomy shorts or pants.
• Choose smooth, breathable fabrics such as cotton and wool instead of synthetics. Avoid scratchy material that irritates your skin; fungus thrives on broken skin.

Smelly shorts, underwear, and athletic supporters are not just a turnoff; they may also carry fungus. Remember, they've gotten sweaty, and chances are they've also hit the germy locker room floor at some point.

• Get them out of your gym bag right away when you get home; fungus can breed in the bag's damp, dark interior.
• In fact, if your bag is wet, spray it with disinfectant spray, dry with a paper towel, and let it air out in the sun for extra protection.

• Using an antifungal powder in skin folds at your groin can help discourage itchy fungal growth and keep you dry.
• Using them proactively during hot weather and when you know you'll be hot and sweaty, such as while doing yard work or exercising, can stop a fungal infection before it starts.

If your partner has jock itch, skin-to-skin contact could transmit the fungus to you during sex.

• Women are much less likely to develop jock itch than men, but it can happen.
• Ask him to use an antifungal cream until the infection is gone or use an antifungal cream yourself to prevent infection.

Washing clothes and towels in hot water, then drying them on high heat in the dryer, kills fungus. A cold-water wash isn't enough.

It probably goes without saying, but don't sit naked on locker room benches. Instead, wrap your bottom in your towel after a shower and keep it on until you dress. It keeps a barrier between you and any lurking fungus.

• The fungus that causes jock itch could also be living on the seats of stationary bikes, weight machines and free-weight benches, warn experts from the Institute for Fungal Illness in Berlin, Germany.
• Before you sit down, clean equipment with the disinfectant spray at the gym, or use your own.