1 week ago
34
Jock itch is a fungal infection which occurs in the groin and causes – intense itching, burning sensation, blisters, and lumps of pus, dandruff-like scales, red ring- shaped rashes and peeling or cracking of the groin skin. These symptoms can involve the entire groin area, including the penis, scrotum, anus and the crack in the buttocks. In women, the vagina, labia and the entire inner thighs may be affected. They may start off mild but can get progressively worse, becoming almost unbearable at times and if untreated would become more severe and may result in breakdown of the skin, in both men and women.
The itching could be so severe that hair combs, brushes, bottle covers, and other unimaginable objects are used in scratching affected areas. Scratching can cause severe bruising and lesions in the affected skin, allowing for infections, sores, and ulcers to develop. The victims are usually overweight people who sweat a lot and are also likely to be affected by athlete’s foot and other fungi infections. Also diabetics and AIDS patients are even more prone to it because of their weak immune system.
The fungi, dermatophytes responsible for this jock itch thrive in warm and moist environments, which do explain the susceptibility of specific areas of the body to such fungal infections. Be careful Jock itch is mildly contagious and spreads quite easily:
Causes of Jock Itch and possible reasons for the spread are
Moist and damp skins – naturally a lot more susceptible to infections as the fungi thrive in such environments, as noted above.
Poor personal hygiene – not changing undergarments after each use also increases the risk of infection. Also a dirty/moldy environment makes for such fungi to breed.
Poor dietary intake and habits.
Direct body contact as through sexual intercourse could also lead to infection or sharing personal belongings with the infected person.
Tight undergarments/clothes or synthetic clothing may aggravate the symptoms.
Weak immune systems and people suffering from hereditary skin diseases or atopic dermatitis would also be vulnerable to jock itch.
It is a known fact Jock itch can be extremely unpleasant, discomforting and highly embarrassing but nature has again provided us with remedy as Calotropis procera- (Sodom apple; bomu bomu -Youruba; otokwuru- Igbo: Family- Asclepiadaceae (Milkweed family).
Calotropis is the best natural way to remedy from Jock itch. Try this and banish all those embarrassing itching-scratching cycles that seem never ending. Your groin will be glad you did.
Bark:
Stem bark: Men and women have been relieved of their symptoms by scrapping the powder of the dried bark and applying directly on the affected parts especially in cases where there are rashes which have turned to sores and are either “weeping,” ringing or ulcerating.
Ash is also made from the stem bark, and the paste thereof applied on affected areas. The ash is mixed with Shea butter.
Root bark: a paste is made with the root bark, mixed with vinegar, and applied.
Leaves:
The latex has been used to alleviate many symptoms of the itching, especially in cases where rashes appear in rings and are also ulcerating. Please use with caution as it causes irritation in contact with the eyewash your hands carefully after each application and only on the affected areas of the body.
The latex can also be collected in Shea butter to make it milder and applied as cream all over the itch.
Juice from the leaves – mixed with cucumber juice is very beneficial. You can also rub the whole fresh leaves against a smooth stone slab with very little water, make a paste, and apply on affected parts.
Fruit:
Powder of dried fruits applied singly or mixed with lemon juice is very helpful.
The various parts of Calotropis mentioned above can also be synergically used with other plants like chickweed, cloves, lááli, scent leaf, dandelion, horsetail, garlic, resurrection plant, and turmeric for more effective result. The plant combinations are made into creams, ointments, and powders as the case might be.
While using Calotopis singly or in any combination with other plants may offer some relief and could even help cure the condition, it is advisable to consult your health practitioner for proper diagnosis especially in cases of secondary infections.
English (US) ·