No one relishes dealing with fungal infections. Whether you’re afflicted with athlete’s foot, jock itch, ringworm or any other variety of fungal infection, discomfort and itchiness are likely to ensue. With this in mind, it’s in everyone’s best interest to take preventative measures against fungal infections. You may even be surprised to discover how conducive to fungal infections certain everyday behaviors are. Anyone looking to curb fungal infections would do well to educate themselves on some of the most common reasons for which people develop them.
Not Giving Your Body Room to Breathe
While tight-fitting clothing may look good and help accentuate your muscles, such convenience comes at cost. When certain parts of your body aren’t given sufficient breathing space, you’re essentially setting the stage for fungal infections. Fungus tends to thrive in areas that are rich in moisture and low in breathability. Tight-fitting socks, for example, create environments that are highly conducive to the formation of athlete’s foot. Furthermore, if you do a fair amount of sweating when working out, tight-fitting activewear can pave the way for jock itch, as well as other types of fungal infections.
With this in mind, make a point of prioritizing breathability the next time you find yourself shopping for clothes. Whether you’re in the market for activewear, casualwear or business-wear, make sure that your body has sufficient space to breathe. Additionally, if you do a lot of camping or hiking or simply love spending time outside, consider investing in antimicrobial outdoor gear.
Not Bathing as Often as You Should
Cleanliness will serve you well on a number of fronts. From personal relationships to professional ones, proper hygiene can be a boon to your everyday life. However, in addition to helping you look, feel and smell good, daily bathing is conducive to good health and the avoidance of fungal infections. When large amounts of sweat, sebum and dirt are allowed to build up on your body, fungal infections are likely to occur.
With this in mind, make a point of bathing at least once a day – and concluding every strenuous workout with a good shower. The less sweat and assorted filth there is on your body, the fewer opportunities there will be for fungal infections to occur. When bathing, make sure to give special focus to the areas of your body where fungal infections are most likely to occur – your feet and groin, for example. Furthermore, upon exiting the bath or shower, take care to dry yourself as thoroughly as possible, again paying special attention to infection-prone areas.
Sharing Towels, Clothing or Footwear
Many people have an unfortunate habit of sharing towels, clothing and footwear with friends and family members. While wanting to share with the people with whom you cohabitate is certainly commendable, such generosity should not extend to the items listed above. In addition to being conducive to a host of fungal infections, sharing said items can also result in serious staph infections.
So, if you engage in this type of sharing with anyone in your orbit, cease such behavior posthaste. Furthermore, you should never reuse towels or re-wear clothing that hasn’t been washed. Just remember – the convenience is not worth the risk.
Not Treating Existing Fungal Infections
Rather than going away on their own, most fungal infections are liable to spread and become worse in the absence of proper treatment. So, if you’ve adopted a “wait and see” approach to a recent fungal infection, you’d be wise to rethink this. By taking this approach, you not only risk making the infection worse, but also spreading it to others.
Fortunately, most fungal infections can be treated with minimal effort. There are a variety of effective creams, sprays, powders and gels that can be purchased without a prescription and are affordable on any budget. In addition, it typically doesn’t take long for these medicines to start producing results.
Although some people are more prone to fungal infections than others, it’s important to understand that we’re all at risk. Even those of us who are meticulous about cleanliness and daily grooming often engage in behaviors that are conducive to fungal infections. Fortunately, keeping fungal infections at bay doesn’t have to be an uphill battle – especially if you have a solid understanding of their most common causes.
