Skin Infection

Infection of skin can commonly be bacterial and fungal. Sometimes can also be caused by viruses . It may look like a red pimple or filled with pus ( with or without pain). Fungal infections can present as rashes. Self treating or buying medicines from a pharmacy may not help or even make the condition worse.This poses a common problem both to the patient and the treating physician. Skin rashes are the external manifestation of a spectrum of diseases such as infection, allergy or systemic diseases and should ideally be diagnosed and treated by a dermatologist. 

Fungal infections and spread

Tinea infection also called ringworm infection is caused by a variety of fungus that grows on the skin. It spreads from one person to another through direct contact,  contact with infected materials like towels, combs, dresses etc. 

Symptoms

The infection spreads in a ring like fashion, With redness in the periphery. There is  commonly an intense itching associated with it.

What To Do

hygienic practises including bathing twice a day, dry clothes in sunlight inside out especially underwears.use loose cotton dresses. 

what Not to do

sharing clothes, soaps ,  damp towels, using common/public toilets, tight clothing  - jeans, leggings and tying around the waist. Avoid self medication. Avoid steroid usage. Avoid washing clothes and the affected  area with disinfectants like dettol/ savlon etc. Avoid washing the area with very hot water to get momentary relief Avoid applying home remedies like turmeric/ neem leaves. If you are resorting to other forms of medicines like ayurveda or siddha, see to it they don't have steroids in them. But fungal infections seldom respond to such treatments. The lifestyle modifications are as important as the medication itself.

Risk factors

Obesity, Increased tendency to sweat, Diabetes, Family member with the infection, Very importantly self medicating with over the counter products . They give immediate relief on application but cause tremendous flare ups once discontinued.so you tend to apply them again and again to get relief and make the infection worse. The creams and ointments given by the pharmacies have steroids which do immense damage to skin decreasing the local immunity , aggravating the infection, changing the morphology of the rash and causing adverse side effects like causing stretch marks and discolouration. The dermatologists find it a very frustrating problem to treat a patient who had used steroids for a fungal infection.

Treatment

Treatment of fungal infection will include topical medicines like creams, lotions and ointments, itching medications and oral antifungal. The very crucial part of  treatment is to continue it until a complete mycological cure is achieved (that is till no fungus in skin). This is identified and decided by the dermatologist . Any inadequate treatment will result in recurrence of the condition .