Some guests are eagerly waiting, but I'm not one of them. And in general, customers are honored not to exaggerate the greeting, but I have the unfortunate ability to take root, fix the family indefinitely with some people and refuse to be deported. The most common places where I apply cleansing of the human body are the feet, mainly between the fingers, in the scalp, under the beard and in the groin.
Who am I? I am a fungus and the problems I have caused have been given different nicknames: Jock Itch, Jungle Rot, Barber's Itch and Athlete's Foot are the most common.
I actually belong to a large family of creatures in the plant kingdom called fungi. Many of my "cousins" are very useful to humanity. Among my relatives there are edible mushrooms, which are so popular with chefs and gourmets, as well as beer and baked yeast. Other family members make blue cheese and Roquefort.
And we must not forget the role that some family members play in the form of antibiotics. Who has never heard of the good penicillin that causes many to survive pneumonia and other diseases that have been fatal in the past? But even when I do my best to be with people, I do not seem to appreciate my kindness.
We in the mushroom family differ from ordinary vegetation in that they do not contain chlorophyll. Therefore, like most plants, we cannot produce food from the sun and the earth. Instead, we stay alive by feeding on organic material. Most of us feed on living matter, which is why we are classified as parasites, but some of us can also feed on dead organic material. You've seen us grow on stale bread or cheese or mold in damp cabinets or dirt or rust on corn or wheat.
We find it very comfortable to live in hot and humid regions such as Florida, Hawaii, the South Pacific and other tropical regions throughout the year. Some of us also thrive in temperate areas during the hot summer months, when intense activity in sports of one kind or another tends to saturate the skin's folds with moisture and make it moist and able to thrive.
We can grow in sand or soil almost anywhere, as long as nutrients are available; And if you go barefoot on beaches or pools, invite us openly to move and organize your family. Do the same when wearing clothes that someone we live with has already used.
We are known as ringworm due to the type of damage we cause, but this is a misnomer. And even though we are usually nothing more than an annoying nuisance, sometimes we put people to bed and some of our closest relatives are extremely cruel and can even kill our host.
Prevention and displacement
At this point, you probably think we can not help but leave it at the family level. But do not despair. You will be surprised to know that about 75% of the world's population is born with natural immunity or innate resistance to us, so while we can, we will not be able to enter. Because of this immunity factor, it is common to see a man with athlete's foot while others in his family never get it. People born without this immunity can inadvertently allow us to place ourselves in place through unintentional environmental influences. But I have good advice for sensitive people.
As I said, you usually invite us. You can avoid this by not going barefoot in public places like summer vacation. Wear sandals when using public showers and when entering and exiting these showers. If you don't have sandals, put a towel on the floor in the shower stall. Avoid wearing clothes worn by others. Reduce sweating problems by switching from synthetic fiber socks to wool or cotton socks. Cut down on light sweating by wearing boxers instead of jockey shorts and cotton underwear instead of nylon. After bathing, thoroughly cleanse all wet areas of the body, especially between fingers and toes and skin folds. If your feet are sweating heavily, apply baby powder to your feet in the morning or baby powder to other wet areas. However, be careful not to use starchy baby powder. Avoid tight underwear and do not scratch the affected areas. They can spread the infection to other parts of the body.
If you have an infection in your armpit, it may help to shave the affected area every week. However, the main goal of prevention and cure is to keep the skin CLEAN and DRY. Fungi survive only on the surface of moist skin.
Today there are many solutions to control and drive us away. Some of them come from non-irritating fatty acids that are found in liquids, ointments or powders. A simple home remedy that some have found effective is a tablespoon of borax powder in a quart of warm water where your hands or feet are wet. Soaking socks and underwear in a solution of a cup of borax in a bucket of water can also help. A cup of borax in the wash water every two weeks can keep us from coming back.
To get rid of the mushroom clan, never hang your underwear to dry in damp bathrooms. If you don't have an automatic dryer, hang it in the sun with the branch exposed. Also, turn your swimsuit over before hanging it up to dry.
With all of these efforts and precautionary measures, if you do not get rid of us, we encourage you to seek professional advice. However, one doctor said: "Yeast infections test a doctor's ingenuity." Since some of us are much more difficult to eliminate than others, your doctor may prescribe different types of medications until you find one that works. It can also mean taking some type of medication by mouth for three to six months. And the treatment usually lasts awhile after he apparently gets rid of us. You know we can trick the skin cells and wait for another chance to multiply and cause another rash. But with all the help you have on your side, you mustn't give up hope. With perseverance you can get rid of us!
