It’s no secret that bacteria love to thrive in warm and most areas of the body. This is exactly the reason why there is a skin disorder known as erythrasma, which is the bacterial infection of the folds situated in the armpits, back of the knees and groin. By the way, these parts of the body are referred to by doctors as intertriginous areas.

Experts say that everyone is at risk of having erythrasma, although individuals who are living in warm and moist parts of the planet are more susceptible to it. Also, it’s often seen than dark-skinned people.

Sometimes the skin disorder may spread to other parts of the body like the limbs and trunk, such as in the case of those who are diagnosed with diabetes as they are known to be prone to all sorts of skin problems. People whose immune systems are weak or compromised are also said to be at higher risk of developing erythrasma.

For those who do not have diabetes and whose immune systems are fine, erythrasma rarely becomes a huge problem. It is something that can be treated quite easily with topical antibacterial solutions, and sometimes oral ones.

There are also certain steps that may be taken to help treat erythrasma or keep it from striking:

Maintain proper hygiene.

Especially if you live in a place where the weather is hot and humid, it is certainly a good idea to practice proper hygiene to ward off the proliferation of bacteria on the skin. It’s also important to thoroughly dry the skin before putting on clean clothes.

Use antibacterial soap.

When taking a shower, wash the affected areas with antibacterial soap to help control the number of bacteria causing the problem. If a doctor has prescribed a topical solution for erythrasma, the best time to have it applied is after cleansing the problem areas with antibacterial soap.

Wear loose-fitting clothes.

Aside from being clean, your clothes should also be loose-fitting in order to keep warm and moist places of the body cool and dry. Definitely, it’s a plus to opt for clothes that are out of natural fabrics as they tend to permit air to pass through, providing enough ventilation.

Stay in cool environments.

It is also a good idea to minimize your stay in environments where temperatures are high in order to prevent excessive sweating, which can make it very easy for bacteria to thrive. As much as you can, stay in the shade and air conditioned rooms.

Drop excess pounds.

Individuals who are obese or overweight are at high risk of having erythrasma because of the fact that their intertriginous areas tend to be a lot warmer and moist, plus are harder to cleanse. Shedding off excess pounds can help in lowering one’s risk of the skin disorder.

Control blood sugar levels.

As mentioned earlier, people with diabetes are susceptible to having erythrasma that can easily spread to other parts of the body. That is why keeping one’s sugar levels within the normal range as well as managing diabetes can help in warding off erythrasma.

Keep the immune system strong.

Making sure that your immune system is in a superb condition can help in the prevention of erythrasma. Your diet should contain plenty of foods that are rich in vitamin C. Regular exercise and enough sleep can help a lot. Definitely, bad vices and too much stress should be avoided.

Refrain from sharing items.

It can be very easy for the bacteria responsible for erythrasma to go from one person to the next by means of towels, hairbrushes, bed sheets, clothes and others. It’s for this reason why using the personal items of an infected individual is a complete no-no.