HOME HEALTH GUIDE

Opunake Times, 29 July 1947, Page 1

HOME HEALTH GUIDE

RINGWORM IN THE GROIN (By the Deportment of Health) There is a type of ringworm that lias spread generally to most countries. It used to be regarded as a tropical trouble. A washerman or dhobie was supposed to infect clothes, hence the name '‘dhobie itch.” This particular ringworm fungus prefers males. It makes a flatfish brown patch, riuglike in shape, reddish at the margin, on the skin of the groin. It may be on one inner side of the upper part of the thigh. Usually there’s a patch on both sides running into the groin and probably meeting behind. There’ s a sharp edge and a little scaliness at the red circular spreading margin. Very often a person who has this ringworm, also has another between the toes, especially between the little and fourth toe. The groin ringworm can be very itchy. It may flare ui> and be very active in a spell of excessively hot weather, or after some heavy exercise. Fortunately the diagnosis is not difficult. Luckily, too, the treatment is simple enough. A number of new remedies have been tried out during the war, for ringworm conditions were very common in the armed forces. None of these is in general civilian use yet. There are, however, some remedies that have stood the test of time. One is a paint, Castellani’s paint, hut as this stains, yon have to be careful in its use. Another remedy is simple weak tincture of iodine, painted on twice daily. Don’t use the strong tincture or iodine paint. However, some folk are allergic to iodine, and get a skin rash on using it.

Probably the .safest treatment for borne use is Whitfield’s ointment. Most-patches will clear r i .p quickly a y 'ter the daily use of this ointment, the fungus spores may be in the deeper skin layers or in hair follicles, and gradually work to the surface, you may v ?t a reinfection some weeks later. So keep treatment going for some time after an apparent cure. Underclothes should be boiled to kill any fungus spores.