If you’ve noticed an itchy and red rash on your inner thigh or groin area, you could have jock itch. Often a ring-shaped rash surrounded with blisters, jock itch usually causes a burning or itching sensation.
Being so uncomfortable, jock itch symptoms are hard to ignore. You may even see that the skin surrounding the rash is scaly and flaky.
If you have jock itch, you’re probably wondering why you? Rest assured it’s actually surprisingly common and usually nothing to worry about. Read on to find out what causes jock itch, how to treat jock itch, and some helpful jock itch prevention tips.
You may be wondering, ‘is jock itch contagious?’ The answer is a simple yes - the fungal infection is very easily spread from person to person or from one area of the body to another.
Its ability to spread quickly and thrive in certain areas is why it is so easy to get jock itch. Often caused by the same fungus that produces athlete’s foot, jock itch commonly begins on the feet before spreading to other areas of the body via towels or clothing. For example, a jock itch rash on the inner thigh, can be caused by a transfer of fungus from the feet when putting on pants.
This is why it’s so important to begin athlete’s foot treatment as soon as you think you might have contracted the fungal foot infection. If you want to find out more about treating athlete’s foot at home, take a look at our detailed blog post on the topic.
Like many types of fungus, jock itch thrives in warm, humid places. This is exactly why communal changing facilities, showers, and swimming pools are prime breeding grounds for the fungus.
Now that you know what causes jock itch, you may be wondering how to prevent jock itch. Fortunately, there are a series of steps that you can take to avoid getting jock itch.
One of the main jock itch prevention tips is actually preventing athlete’s foot infections. For a detailed guide to preventing athlete’s foot, take a look at our blog.
You want to keep your feet as dry as possible to avoid the optimum conditions for the fungus to spread. If you often have sweaty feet, take a look at our guide to stopping sweaty feet.
If you do play sports frequently and often visit communal changing facilities or showers it’s important to take the following steps to prevent jock itch:
• Change your clothes. It is important to change out of sweaty clothes as soon as possible after doing any intense exercise. If the climate is particularly hot and humid, and you find your clothes drenched in sweat, consider changing your clothes more than once a day.
• Wear clothes made of natural materials. Breathable fabrics like cotton will allow for good airflow and prevent your skin from becoming too hot and sweaty. Cotton underwear is also recommended for this reason.
• Protect your feet in communal areas. Whenever you use communal changing facilities, use a communal shower, or visit a public pool, it’s vital that you wear shower shoes or flip flops. Going barefoot will increase your chance of getting athlete's foot because of the damp, warm conditions that the fungus thrives in. This infection can then be transferred to your inner thigh and become jock itch.
• Dry yourself off properly. Following a shower, always make sure to thoroughly dry off your body, paying special to your feet and groin area.
While it’s simple to treat jock itch, and it’s important to treat it quickly and effectively, otherwise the infection can last for months. You can treat jock itch with over the counter antifungals that take the form of powders, creams, and sprays.
Silka Ⓡ Jock Itch Cream is one of the most effective jock itch treatments. Containing terbinafine as the active ingredient, the cream begins working straight away on the first day of use. Follow these steps and the infection should clear up within 7 days.
• Wash the area of infection thoroughly with warm water and mild soap before drying it properly with a clean towel.
• Apply Silka Ⓡ Jock Itch Cream once a day either in the morning or at night for 1 week.
• Wash your hands thoroughly after use to avoid spreading the infection to other areas.
If you can’t seem to shake off the fungus no matter what you do, it’s possible you have chronic jock itch. If you find that treatment doesn’t work or that the infection is getting worse, it’s best to see your doctor who can provide you with a suitable treatment plan.