1. If you have a rash, don’t just slather on the antifungal cream and hope for the best. The first step is to figure out what’s going on. It could be eczema, rosacea, psoriasis, ringworm – or something else entirely.
2. It’s not always easy to tell what your rash is from just looking at it. A doctor can help you figure it out by asking questions (Do you notice a pattern to where it appears? What are your triggers?) and doing an exam that includes looking under a black light and taking skin scrapings.
3. Once you know what you’re dealing with, you can make sure you’re treating it properly – so you can get relief and prevent complications down the road.
4. And by the way: Sometimes a rash is not technically a rash at all… Confused? Read on to learn more!
There are dozens of different skin problems that can affect you. Some may be more noticeable than others, but all of them can be disturbing and uncomfortable. Sometimes the symptoms are the same, even if the conditions have different causes. One example of this is skin rashes.
Skin rashes, also called dermatitis, can be caused by a number of things including allergies, infections, or contact with irritating substances. Dry, itchy skin and blisters are common symptoms. There are also a number of common skin conditions that can cause rashes.
Atopic eczema is an inherited condition that causes your skin to become irritated when you come into contact with certain substances or objects. Your skin will itch and turn red and scaly in places like the back of your knees or on the inside of your elbows. Treatment includes medicines to reduce itching and antibiotics to fight bacterial infections if they develop.
Contact dermatitis is an allergic reaction to something that has touched your skin such as poison ivy, chemicals or jewelry made from nickel, or cosmetics. The rash appears where the substance came into contact with your skin and may include blisters as well as redness and itching. Avoiding the irritant is usually all you need to do to clear it up; using steroid cre
If your skin has a rash, it’s best to see a dermatologist to get proper treatment. “Over-the-counter products can help, but they won’t cure the problem,” says Dr. Charles E. Crutchfield III, a clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis.
Antifungal cream is effective against fungal infections such as athlete’s foot and ringworm. If you have a yeast infection on your skin, antifungal creams should be okay to use when you’re pregnant. If not, talk to your doctor about other options.
“Ringworm” is a misnomer. This skin infection, which is caused by a fungus, has nothing to do with the parasitic worms that can live in your intestine and cause real worms. Instead, the “ring” in ringworm refers to how it looks: like a red or silvery ring with a bumpy edge.
Ringworm can be found anywhere on the body but is more common on the scalp, beard area (on men who shave), feet (athlete’s foot), groin (jock itch) and hands.
The infecting fungi thrive in warm, moist places, particularly public showers, locker rooms and swimming pools. Ringworm spreads through direct contact with an infected person or animal (dog or cat). It also spreads easily from one part of your own body to another. For example, you can develop athlete’s foot by touching ringworm on your feet and then spreading it to your groin.
Most cases of ringworm clear up within weeks with simple over-the-counter antifungal creams or sprays. But if the rash persists or recurs, see your doctor for a prescription-strength treatment.”””
If you’ve ever dealt with a fungal infection, you’re aware of the big guns medicine has to fight it. Antifungal creams can clear up an infection if used properly, and they come in a variety of forms that can treat different parts of the body.
While you may have used antifungal creams before without incident, there are some things you should know before using one. Because topical antifungals kill off healthy bacteria as well as unhealthy bacteria, they can cause side effects such as skin irritation, redness, and itching. There are also many conditions that mimic fungal infections but aren’t actually fungal infections at all, so it’s important to get a correct diagnosis from your doctor before treating yourself with an antifungal cream or other medication.
Before you start using one, get familiar with the most common types of antifungal creams and what situations they treat best.
It’s all about the foot fungus.
If you’ve never had athlete’s foot or toenail fungus, consider yourself lucky, but don’t be complacent. It won’t take much for your feet to lose their pleasant aroma, and once that happens, it’s likely to come back again and again. So keep the following tips in mind to prevent athlete’s foot and clear up any existing infection.
The risk factors. Your feet are more prone to fungal infections if you spend a lot of time walking barefoot in public showers or locker rooms or wear sweaty shoes or socks for too long.
If you can see it, smell it, or feel it, you’re on your way to a fungal infection; these symptoms are fairly common:
Itching between toes
Cracking of the skin between toes
Scales on the soles of feet
Peeling of skin on soles of feet
Redness and swelling of the skin between toes
Blisters that itch or burn
Thickening of toe nails (onychomycosis) with brownish discoloration
No matter how many times you wash your hands, you can’t get rid of that weird smell. It’s not dirt or bacteria. You’ve never heard of anyone else with this problem. What’s going on?
The answer may be a condition called fish odor syndrome (trimethylaminuria), which is a genetic disorder where the body can’t break down the chemical compound trimethylamine (TMA). TMA is the result of digesting certain foods like eggs, meat and fish. Normally your liver would break down TMA into an odorless compound, but if you suffer from fish odor syndrome, you either don’t have the enzyme to break it down or it doesn’t work properly. The end result is that TMA accumulates in your bloodstream and when it reaches your sweat glands, breath and urine, it emits a strong fishy smell.
People with fish odor syndrome tend to live fairly normal lives, but they often face teasing and bullying in their younger years. However, there are some simple lifestyle changes that can help reduce the smell associated with fish odor syndrome:
Reduce or eliminate fatty food intake
Avoid alcohol consumption
Eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day
Chew mint leaves or peppermint gum after meals
Use antif