Although many fungal infections aren’t particularly serious, they can still prove incredibly uncomfortable and inconvenient for anyone afflicted with them. Furthermore, in the absence of the proper precautions, certain types of fungal infections can quickly spread throughout households. Luckily, preventing the spread of such infections is far from challenging. Anyone looking to turn their home into an infection-free zone would do well to take the following measures.
Embrace Proper Hygiene Practices
Poor hygiene is a major contributor to fungal infections. So, if your current approach to personal grooming leaves something to be desired, now would be the time to change things. For example, if you regularly skip baths and showers, wear the same clothes for days on end or regard general cleanliness as an afterthought, you shouldn’t be surprised to see fungal infections spring up.
Anyone looking to get a handle on their grooming habits is urged to bathe on a daily basis, especially after engaging in activities that result in sweatiness. Additionally, even if you’ve already had your daily bath or shower, you should still bathe after working out or taking part in any other sweat-inducing activity. You’ll also need to avoid wearing sweaty clothes for long periods. Even if you’re unable to bathe immediately after working out, you should still change out of your sweaty exercise attire. As an added precaution, look into purchasing activewear developed with antimicrobial technology.
Don’t Share Towels
While you may regard towel-sharing as an effective way to cut back on laundry, it’s among the most common ways fungal infections are transferred. So, regardless of how close you are to your spouse or partner, sharing towels shouldn’t be regarded as a sign of a strong connection, but rather a practice that’s highly unsanitary. To be clear, this isn’t to say that you can never use a towel that’s been used by another member of your household. However, if the towel in question has not been washed since its last use, no one should use it until such time as it’s been properly laundered.
In addition to never sharing unwashed towels, you should also avoid reusing them. Since fungus thrives on moist surfaces, drying yourself with a towel that’s already been used is likely to result in a fungal infection – or possibly even a staph infection. In the interest of preventing such outcomes, make a point of never reusing unwashed towels, no matter how cumbersome you find doing laundry.
Cover Your Feet
Many of us have no reservations about walking around our respective homes with bare feet. Furthermore, allowing your feet to breathe can serve as a great preventative measure against foot fungus. However, if you’ve already developed a foot-based fungal infection, being barefoot on surfaces that receive a fair amount of foot traffic can result in the spread of said infection.
As such, anyone suffering from foot fungus should keep their feet covered when walking on surfaces upon which other members of their respective households frequently walk. So, no matter how fond you are of being barefoot at home, you’ll need to deal with wearing socks, slippers or other indoor footwear for the duration of your infection.
By extension, avoid sharing shoes, socks and other footwear with other members of your household. Additionally, given how conducive moisture is to the spread of fungal infections, you should also use a separate bath mat.
Quickly Treat Existing Infections
Expecting a fungal infection to simply go away on its own is liable to end in disappointment. Unless proper treatment is applied, some fungal infections may stick around indefinitely. Fortunately, many fungal infections can be effectively treated in a timely manner with affordable over-the-counter remedies. Virtually any store that sells medicine is likely to have a variety of creams, sprays, powders and ointments designed to eradicate assorted fungal infections.
There’s no denying that fungal infections can be itchy, inconvenient and, at times, outright painful. However, since many fungal infections are considered minor problems, people who have them often fail to take the proper precautions to prevent them from spreading. Given that certain types of fungal infections are contagious, it behooves anyone afflicted with them to take proper preventative measures, especially at home. So, if you’re interested in curbing the spread of fungal infections in your household, heed the advice outlined above.
