Intertrigo

It pays to enrich your word power.

I swear that since I started the whole process of stopping steroid creams, I have increased my vocabulary substantially. Maybe that is one of the good side effects of TSW; we become walking dictionaries.

Anyway people.... I have a new word for you today:

INTERTRIGO.

Any idea what it means? C'mon, I have to hurry you. 10 points for the first person to get it....

OK. No takers? For your information, intertrigo is an inflammation or rash of the body folds.

 According to Wikipedia:

"An intertrigo usually develops from the chafing of warm, moist skin in the areas of the inner thighs and genitalia, the armpits, under the breasts, the underside of the belly, behind the ears, and the web spaces between the toes and fingers. An intertrigo usually appears red and raw-looking, and may also itch, ooze, and be sore. Intertrigos occur more often among overweight individuals, those with diabetes, those restricted to bed rest or diaper use, and those who use medical devices, like artificial limbs, that trap moisture against the skin. Also, there are several skin diseases that can cause an intertrigo to develop, such as dermatitis or inverse psoriasis."

Ouch.

As you can imagine, this type of rash is very common in topical steroid withdrawal, which is why I am posting about it.

During my last flare a few weeks ago, I had intertrigo behind my ears. When I went to bed, the side that I lay on would ooze behind the ear, matting up my hair. I also had a horrible oozy rash appear under my bra line, which I had to treat by stuffing kitchen roll under the bra wire!

One thing that we need to be careful about with this kind of rash, is the fact that moist, warm areas can be a breeding ground for bacteria, viruses and fungi. We need to monitor the rash to see if it starts to differ from regular TSW rash, either in appearance, feel or smell, which may suggest secondary infection. Of course, this is incredibly difficult, as ooze usually has an unpleasant smell anyway and there is rarely such a thing as a "typical" TSW rash. But it is important to get familiar with your own body so as to be aware of anything out of the ordinary.

The best way to treat intertrigo is to get air to it, which is obviously pretty darn difficult. Getting the air to it will dry up the ooze quickly. Epsom salt baths are good, or alternatively, many prefer to use dead sea salts. This type of bath will help dry out oozy areas and prevent secondary infections.

Like I said, sometimes it is impossible to get the air to the rash, in which case we have to get inventive! I have my "kitchen roll in bra" method (No way am I posting photos!), whereas others have adapted bandages, wraps and towels to keep oozy areas under control!

Intertrigo is a distressing symptom of topical steroid withdrawal, but symptoms tend to die down with each flare.

Do you readers have any clever or inventive methods for dealing with the ooze? Please share!