Q. I’m an avid canoe paddler. Back in the 1970s when I got started canoeing I learned that wearing denim cut-offs on the river was a very bad idea. I developed terrible jock itch, probably because my shorts stayed damp for hours.

In those days the best treatment for a fungal infection was tolnaftate, the ingredient in the athlete’s foot remedy Tinactin. It’s pretty affordable, but sometimes when I need a stronger antifungal I buy a product for vaginal yeast infections. They seem stronger than athlete’s foot remedies.

The key, in my opinion, is to aim a spray of hot water on the area before applying the antifungal cream. I also apply tolnaftate cream these days as a preventive before I get on the river.

A. Jock itch (tinea cruris) is a fungal infection of the groin. Fungi love warm, most skin folds. That’s why the toes, groin or under-breast areas are frequent targets.

Anti-fungal creams such as miconazole or clotrimazole can be used to treat such infections. They are also helpful in treating vaginal yeast infections, so we are not surprised you have found them effective.