When Genital Itching Refuses To Stop
Dear Doc,
I have been having itching and scratching at the root of my penis, over the scrotum ( both sides) for some years now. The problem has been a source of embarrassment on occasions when the itch comes in public places, but I have no option than to scratch.
It is often more pronounced when I wear tight underwear and I just removed it. The itch will come in great bouts then, although it won’t come until I have removed the undies.
There have also been occasions when I have broken open the skins of my penis on account of scratching this delicate area. I am 38 and a married man.
Can you kindly tell me why the scratch and I can use for it? I can however tell you that I once, about 18 year ago had STD but it has since been treated. Can you help sir? KKK, Kaduna
Hello doc,
Greetings from a desperate heart. Please I am really pleading that my mail be treated personal. I have been having constant itching in my vaginal area which I believe I contacted through our school toilet system. I have gone for several tests yet it still keeps having same result as candidial vaginitis even after taking drugs prescribed to me by a doctor. I have made judicious use of Canesten, Sabresten and of recent I drank 4 packets of Diflucan (50mg by 3) and I drank it 3 at a go for 4 consecutive weeks but still after a week later there has been no cure. Moreover my concentration has been focused on how to cure this ailment and not on my studies any longer. Please I am really very tired of consuming drugs that have no remedy to my situation. Thanks a lot. Please you could send the reply since I may not be accessible to our Nigerian dailies. LLL, Lagos
Dear KKK and LLL,
1. We have made the point before that the major cause of itching in the genitals is Candida albicans.
2. Itching in the genitals is too many times mistaken as a sign or symptom of venereal disease or sexually transmitted disease. This is not so.
3. To many ignorant people including quacks (false doctors) that parade and advertise themselves ad nauseaum (to the point of wanting to make you vomit) again, we repeat that this is a mistaken notion. It is not true.
4. The major cause of itching genitals – either in the man or woman; penis or vagina; vulva (outside the vagina), vaginal introitus (entrance) vaginal barrel (inside proper) upper thighs or around the anus, is Candida albicans; not any sexually transmitted diseases.
5. Other major causes include: Trichomonas vaginalis which usually has a coloured smelling discharge and none specific vaginitis or bacterial vaginosis or Gardnerellosis (caused by Gardnerella vaginalis) and none of them is an STD in the true sense of the concept.
6. Once again, these 3, Candida, Trichomonas and Gardnerella cause genital itching in almost all cases of genital itching. Another common cause of genital itching is Ringworm or Tinea cruris. And none, I repeat, none of these are STDs. Chlamydia, an STD, usually has no
symptoms at all, but can very occasionally cause very unusual itching.
7. This point is most important to make because since most of these ailments affects women, and most respectable women don’t sleep around, too many women, when attacked by genital itching, begin to suspect their husbands – and yet the diseases are not, I repeat, not STDs at all!
8. Now understand that though they are not true VD’s or STD’s (diseases that are spread through immoral and illegal sexual connection with multiple partners like syphilis, gonorrhea, Chlamydia, herpes, chancroid, genital warts and HIV/aids) because of the fact that they affect primarily the sex organs, they can pass from one sexual partner to the other, so in that sense they can be sexually transmitted, even though
they are not; I repeat, not true or proper, STD’s.
9. Why they are not true STD’s is this -- the major source of the infection of Candida for example is the intestines of the sufferer! It’s an auto infection-- (you infected in yourself--no body infected you)!!! While for an STD, you need to have contacted the disease primarily because of your promiscuities (multiple sex partners) and from another person (one of these partners) -- not from yourself.
10. That is why it is careless for any doctor to tell any woman she has an STD when Candida strikes. Candida is so common and so self inflicted and yet so alarming and embarrassing that the poor woman feels that somebody somewhere must have infected her and the first suspect is her partner or husband. Then follows instant marital disharmony with suspicion, distrust and acrimony to boot!!!
11. And yet the simple explanation and treatment is so easy that marital disharmony and broken relationship is so much of an unfair price to pay for Candida or genital itching!
12. Genital itching, of course is not confined to women but can affect men and children also, causing itching pubis, groin, scrotal skin, itching in any part of the penis - any part at all--the pipe inside the penis inclusive -- and of course in the upper thighs, buttocks, around the anus etc.
13. The first reason why itching keeps coming and going or never goes, we have already elucidated – it is auto infection or self infection from the reservoir of Candida organisms living in the intestine of every human being!!!
14. You see, some micro–organisms maintain two relationships with human beings. They live inside or on human bodies, causing absolutely, no diseases at all - some are even found in a beneficial role to man--these are called commensals.
15. Right on the other hand, other micro-organisms called pathogens, cause disease in man. Some germs are able to live in man in both dimensions and Candida albicans is one such germ!! It lives in a beneficial relationship; as a commensal, formally in the intestines of man, but can come out upon the skin mucous membranes (inner linings of body cavities e.g.
mouth, vagina) and so on to cause disease - Candidosis; yeast;
moniliasis -all the same thing
16. Moniliasis is another name for this disease. Or thrush. Or yeast --because Candida albicans is a fungus, or mould or yeast, the infection is also referred to as a yeast infection.
17. How does one infect oneself from one's intestines- what causes good germs living without trouble in the intestine to suddenly become bad germs pouring out to infect our skin around the genitals etc, you may wish to ask? SIMPLE. INAPPROPIATE USE OF ANTIBIOTICS OF BROAD SPECTRUM VARIETY SUCH AS TETRACYLINES, AMPICILLIN,
SEPTRIN IS THE ANSWER!!! Self medication!! Aside antibiotics, another set of drugs
commonly abused in self medication are steroids. They also encourage candidal growth! That is minus their many other deadly side - effects.
18. When a person decides they can treat themselves all by themselves or goes to a chemist to procure antibiotics whether needed or not , and begins to use them indiscriminately these antibiotics begin to kill off all the germs they find and this leads to overgrowth of Candida in the system, because the germs killed are those that help balance the Candida population in the intestine.
19. The use of Oral contraceptives is another cause of candidal overgrowth.
20. Just like the use of tight nylon underwear like G- strings does. Now imagine this chic lady using oral contraceptives to keep pregnancy away who likes to wear tight G strings, nylon and other beachwear, and who is using unprescribed antibiotics in rebellious self medication to keep her from getting STD's!! Of course she'll suffer Candidiasis!!! As for trichomoniasis (the second most common cause of genital itching) swimming pools can help transmit it.
21. The anus, you'll agree, discharges many germs as the disagreeable quality of faeces easily suggests. It’s the exit point for these germs (including Candida) that live inside the intestines.
Now then, if a woman goes to toilet and cleans up improperly back to front or tamba's- ( water- sloshing)without drying up properly, she introduces exiting germs from anus to vagina. Very simply, Candidal self-infection can occur in this way in many women!!!
22. It can also affect babies causing a red rash in the nappy area either from the overload of unwanted antibiotics crossing to the baby from the mama's breast milk or directly given to the baby in self medication which is the in-thing in Nigeria.
23. The women, the men and the children - even babies--all the family can be infected and pass infection around at home through shared towels, toilet seats, swimming pools, etc. You can see now that it is not a sexually transmitted disease. It affects innocent kids!!!
24. Pregnant women, because their pregnancy causes them to leak sugar in their urine, have a tendency to overgrowth of Candida germs-- which thrive in sugar.
25. Just like - diabetes which is essentially a problem of how the body does not handle sugar well enough and thereby attracts Candida germs which thrive in sugar conditions
26. Overuse, therefore, of sugar and pastry-based foods tend to keep Candidal infection and itching around for a very long time.
27. Not just sugary or pastry based foods - all the hip but junk stuff - dough-nuts, meat-pie, white bread, puff-puff, hamburgers, etc have exactly the same effect on the system-- they tend to help the growth of the yeast germs called Candida (don't forget they are all made with the addition of yeast)
28. So now, you understand why you may get an attack of itching right after you finished gobbling up all those fast foods with the ice cream and soft- drinks, all loaded with sugar and other “no-no" stuff.
29. Candida also jumps at any chance to infect people with a weakened immune system - which is what you have in HIV/AIDS for example- acquired immune-deficiency syndrome. So, it's one of the leading opportunistic infections in that dreaded disease.
30. Hormonal changes inherent in women's monthly menstrual bleeding also encourages Candida to overgrow. Most ladies suffering chronic Candidal vaginitis will tell you it comes at a certain point in their cycle - usually just before they begin to bleed
31. Yeasts are present in the environment around us especially in wet, damp and mouldy bathrooms, on decaying leaves, stored fruits or vegetables, wet, water absorbing walls, that are growing fungus, old books, magazines and newspapers: and in the rainy season.
32. Polygamy you will, agree must spread this kind of disease - an obvious one among the many minuses of that very prevalent social practice.
33. Although it is a must in treating trichomoniasis to make sure the spouse is also treated, neglecting to do this in some cases of Candida results in failed treatment.
34. One of the most important but overlooked causes of long term intractable genital itching is halfway treatment that patients indulge in. You begin using medicaments - creams, tablets, whatever-you're given. After a few days you're feeling much better. Soon, you're so much better that you, even without planning to do so, forget to complete your full treatment.
35. Usually when on treatment for candidiasis you should either abstain from sex or use condoms. People refuse to comply with this and so can't solve the problem.
36. By for the commonest cause of failure to treat Candida successfully however, is the use of creams and pessaries alone - these clear the skin and mucous membrane infections, but ignore the primary source of the germ - the colony in the intestines. Only oral drugs can get to that location.
37. Also, most people forget to change all their underwear after successful course of treatment.
38. You mustn't also forget that many cases of itching and/or vaginal discharge are not single infections at all-- they are double; some of them triple infections -- that means you could be dealing not just with Candidiasis but Candidiasis and Vaginosis together; or all three-- Trichomoniasis, Candidiasis and Vaginosis!! You'll still need to treat the other infection even if you are sure you've treated candidosis well!!
39. Lastly, there are cases beyond just the physical-- cases that have mental roots at their
foundation--for example didn't all the problems start after you phantasised/imagined sex with someone you liked? Or perhaps there were or are some stress factors related -exams, accident, fear of getting pregnant, death of relative. We call problems like these psychosomatic diseases. The astute physician will need to probe deeper into the history of your condition.
40. Again, other folks have problems that have even deeper roots--perhaps spiritual.
(Perhaps your own problem with itching began after you made love or had some other strange encounter in the dream?)
Whatever the cause of itching refusing to go, remember it's not likely to be an STD (as in physically) and it can be cured if you see the right professionals.
We guarantee you a cure if and as you follow our directions in this area --like we have cured so many. An email/visit to a good doctor/gynaecologist will help you in this area.
Call the help lines if you want help
Cheers
Dr Caleb Bibbi Oluranti
Helplines 2348033466574;2348028240983;2348057441699
