Article Categories

»	Arts & Entertainment
»	Automotive
»	Business
»	Careers & Jobs
»	Education & Reference
»	Finance
»	Food & Drink
»	Health & Fitness
»	Home & Family
»	Internet & Online Businesses
»	Miscellaneous
»	Self Improvement
»	Shopping
»	Society & News
»	Sports & Recreation
»	Technology
»	Travel & Leisure
»	Writing & Speaking

Reprint Article Code

Category: Articles » Health & Fitness » Article » Article Code

Tinea

Tinea is the Latin word for worm so it is understandable that tinea and ringworm are the same condition. They are a fungal infection that affects skin on different parts of the body. Dermatophytes cause Tinea Dermatophytes are fungi that invade the dead cell component of the skin, nails and hair. They do not live on living cells so tinea will only affect the upper dead layers of the skin known as keratin. The presence of the fungi on the skin may lead to an inflammatory or allergic reaction. ... read more

Article Title:

Article Body:

<a href="http://www.blainelabs.com">Tinea</a> is the Latin word for worm so it is understandable that tinea and ringworm are the same condition. They are a fungal infection that affects skin on different parts of the body.

Dermatophytes cause Tinea

Dermatophytes are fungi that invade the dead cell component of the skin, nails and hair. They do not live on living cells so tinea will only affect the upper dead layers of the skin known as keratin. The presence of the fungi on the skin may lead to an inflammatory or allergic reaction.

Under normal circumstances people are quite resistant to fungal infection. However when the body becomes weakened due to chronic illness, long term antibiotic use, genetic factors or damaged skin their resistance is reduced and they become more vulnerable to developing a fungal infection.

Fungi thrive in warm, moist places

Tinea is more likely to develop if the conditions are right. Fungi thrive in warm, moist places so the presence of fungi is common in areas of the body that become hot and sweaty – between the toes, under the breasts, in the groin.

There are various types of fungi that can cause tinea however it is not the fungi that tinea is defined by but rather its location on the body.

Tinea pedis a common form of tinea

One of the most common forms of tinea is Tinea Pedis, also known as athletes foot. Tinea pedis is a common condition that presents as softening and whitening of the skin in the webbing between the toes.

If untreated tinea pedis may spread to the nails creating a condition known as Tinea unguium (simply meaning tinea of the nails). Tinea of the nails typically starts at the tip of one or more nails and if left untreated will cause the nail to become soft and soggy. The free edges of the nail will thicken and become yellow tinged.

Jock itch most common in males

Tinea may also form in the groin area where it is called tinea cruris or more commonly jock itch. This form of tinea is most common in males and presents as raised, sharply defined lesions that may expend to the buttocks, inner thighs and external genitalia. The condition is usually very itchy.

The beard area on males is also vulnerable to the development of tinea (tinea barbae) as is the scalp of both men and women (tinea capitas). In both, small lesions will appear that may become inflamed. Patchy loss of hair is also possible.

Children more prone to develop tinea on flat body parts

Any tinea developing on other parts of the body is known as tinea corporis and is more common in children. It presents as a flat skin lesion that is either dry and scaly or moist and crusty. As the lesion grows its center will heal leaving the characteristic ring shaped lesion common to ringworm.

Treat tinea with anti-fungal cream

Most tinea can be treated with over the counter <a href="http://www.blainelabs.com">anti-fungal creams</a> that are rubbed onto the affected areas. In some instances oral anti-fungal medications will also be required.
Ensuring the skin is kept clean and dry is also important. Avoid allowing skin layers to lie together when they are wet or sweaty.

Tinea is a very contagious condition

Tinea is a very contagious condition and can be easily passed from person to person. Contaminated articles like shoes, towels and brushes should not be shared and when showering in communal showers waterproof footwear should always be worn.

Author Bio:

Some other recently published health & fitness articles

Hypnosis – 5 WONDERFUL Steps to Quit Smoking Today for a HEALTHY Living by pradeep aggarwal
You will not realize it but through this wonderful and powerful article you are heading towards a healthy living in your life. ...

The Importance of Foods to fight Cold Sores by Robert H Black
After you've been infected, it's not too difficult to reduce the frequency of your cold sore outbreaks. Eat healthily to give ...

Health Hazards of Smoking by Mason Parkers
Health is the most precious thing a person can have. But we start to value something only when it is lost. When in old age you feel ache ...

The Benefits of Cleansing Your Body by Dr. Robert Fleishmann
Contrary to popular belief and some dubious scientific studies, your body may not be functioning as well as it should. Though doctors and scientists will caution against the idea of a ...

The Risk Of Drug-coated Stents Can Be Managed by Ng Peng Hock
Despite the recent negative news that patients with drug-coated stents have higher risk of blood clots than those with bare metal stents, a pioneer of the drug-coated stent has said that with proper medication, ...

What So Great About GL Diet? by Ng Peng Hock
GL stands for glycemic load. It is believed by many health professionals that low GL diet will be more popular than low-fat, low-carbohydrate (carb) or low-calorie. The low-fat and ...

Publisher Guidelines

You may reprint this article electronically in your newsletter or on your website, free of charge.

If you reprint this article from our site, then you must keep everything intact. This includes the articles title, author name, articles body, authors bio / resource box, the links contained within the article, all copyright notices and the link pointing back to our site. All links within the article must also be made active / hyperlinks.