Q. I always thought jock itch was a locker room contagion. I don’t go to a gym, so I was surprised when my dermatologist told me what I had. He prescribed antifungal drugs.
About three months before the diagnosis, I’d purchased a laptop and was using it nightly on my lap. The heat from the laptop was baking the very area that should be kept cool and dry. My doctor said he had treated a number of people with red spots from using laptops.
The situation is better but not completely resolved. Are there any home remedies? I’m concerned about long-term use of the medications.
A. Many folks have had success with old-fashioned amber Listerine for jock itch. One reader wrote:
“Thanks for the tip about Listerine as an antifungal agent. I tried it for chronic jock itch and it worked!” The herbal extracts in this mouthwash may have antifungal activity. Be careful dabbing it on, though, as the alcohol in Listerine could burn delicate tissue.
