MicroJournal Entry #8 - investigations

I was talking to one of my classmate who was explaining to me about her previous experience with fungal infection and so I decided to do my research on how to prevent fungal infection. The way she described her experience make me want to avoid getting in contact with it!

Step 1:Prevent the spread of athletes foot. Athletes foot is also known as "tinea". It is probably the most commonly known fungal infection and the one most likely to bother you at some point in your life. Signs of athletes foot include: whitened skin, skin cracks and peels easily, itchiness may be present, there may be an unpleasant odor and in severe cases, it can burn and sting.

• Wear footwear such as flip flops or Crocs™ when using public bathing facilities (showers, saunas, etc.) and when walking around public pool areas.
• When wearing shoes again make sure that it is dry
• Do not urinate when in the shower or bath. This can weaken the skin's resistance to fungal infections.
• If you already have athletes foot, wash thoroughly, dry well but don't rub too hard. Try to give your feet "air time" without socks and shoes during the day. Wash socks daily and wear different shoes on alternate days. 

Step 2:Prevent nail or skin infections like ringworm. Ringworm isn't actually a worm although the name causes many people to assume such––it is simply a round rash that forms on the skin that has a scaly edge (perhaps a little like the edge of a worm) and a clear center. Ringworm can appear on your arms, legs, face, scalp, stomach and back.

Keep your pets clean, regularly wormed and de-flea-ed and washed. Ringworm infection is often transferred from cats and dogs. If you think your pets might be infected, take them to the vet for a check-up.

Don't scratch fungal infections––this will often spread the infection across your skin.

Step 3: Prevent scalp infections. As already noted, it is possible to have ringworm on the scalp. Scalp infections tend to be more common in children than in adults.

• Avoid or control dandruff. Dandruff flakes can very easily be passed from one person to another.
• Avoid sharing hair brushes, pillows, hair clips and other hair accessories used by others.
• Ensure that pillow cases and sheets are washed at least once in two weeks (this is also important for killing dust mites and bacteria from your skin and mouth). Regular washing of the pillow cases and sheets will help you maintain clear and healthy looking skin––the build-up of germs you lie on aren't doing your skin any favors.

Step 4:Don't share clothing. Any type of fungal infection can be spread through sharing clothing

 with an infected person (or from you if you're infected). This means declining offers to wear someone else's hat, shoes, t-shirt, etc. and not offering to share your clothing when you're experiencing a current infection. If you do need to share clothing (after all, something borrowed, something blue will inevitably come up for some of you), make sure it is cleaned properly or dry-cleaned before sharing.
http://m.wikihow.com/Prevent-the-Spread-of-Fungal-Infections