Medical Questions » Fungal Infections Questions » Question No. 410
| Question: | I have the dreaded crotch rot, and the itch drives me crazy. People look at me because i keep forgetting and scratching in public, and they think I' m a dirty old man or something. How can I fix this? |
| Answer: | The very aptly named crotch rot is correctly known as tinea cruris. It is a fungal infection of the skin in the groin, and results in a red, itchy and sometimes smelly and sore rash. The infection is more common in men than women, and has a peak incidence in the 20s and 30s.
A red, scaly rash can spread out from the skin folds in the groin to cover the inside of the thighs, the lower abdomen and the buttocks. It tends to recur in summer and with exercise.
Fungi like the warm, moist area of the skin folds in rhe groin, so the infection is more common in people who are overweight and sweat a lot. Another concern can be diabetes, as people with this disease have a small amount of sugar in their sweat which encourages the fungus. Anyone with a recurrent fungal infection which is hard to treat should be checked for diabetes.
If simple antifungal creams from the chemist do not control your problem you should see your GP who can prescribe antifungal tablets to help kill the fungus.
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