Ringworm Treatment, Symptoms & Causes

The Ringworm is a kind of contagious fungus caused by common mould-like parasites living on the skin's surface.

In general, it can spread in the following manner:

A. Causes of Ringworm

1. One Human to the other

Usually, it spreads from one person to another via contact with their skin. Ringworm is no different as it only waits for the infected person to connect with the average person.

2. from Animals to Human Beings.

It is not only confined to humans but also animals. An infected animal can spread it every time the human hands touch it. Most spreaders are in the form of domesticated pets and animals. A cat, a dog and even a cow can spread the infection since they come into human contact every day.

3. Human beings and inordinate objects.

If someone does not contract the infection directly, there exist indirect ways too.

The infected person or animal may have touched an object or surface, and the infection is resident there. It would not affect things anyway, but the person who comes in contact with such objects due to daily usage is bound to get affected.

4. Humans and Soil:

Soil also acts as a catalyst since they can be spread through that too. When the human touches such ground, the infection catches on.

B. Symptom

• It can be seen as patches and are red, scaly or itchy. It is also known as plaques when you can view it as raised areas.

• Initially, a patch then develops into pustules or blisters.

• Patches that may resemble a ring or could be more reddish

• All those patches which have a raised and well-defined edge

• Overlapping Rings

• Rings that are found overlapping

• Red bumps scattered in a scaly area.

C. Diagnosis

It is not possible to spot the area it is causing the damage to. The physician uses ' black ' light and scans the affected area of the skin. The fungus would glow under the light, thus guiding the doctor on where the actual problems lie.

To confirm the earlier diagnosis, the doctor would want further testing to be done. Those tests are:

Test 1:

• The test could involve a fungal culture or a skin biopsy.

• He can collect the discharge from the blister can be collected, or can extract a skin sample.

• He would send the sample to the lab for further analysis and confirmation of fungus.

• A simple skin test like KOH can be done. The doctor is bound to remove a tiny area resident in the infected area. The portion of the skin is placed on a slide. Potassium Hydroxide ( KOH) drops are placed on the sample.

The process with KOH is done as the regular skin breaks away from the fungal one. The doctor can only view it under the microscope.

D: Treatment

There is a possibility that your doctor may suggest two forms of cure. One is medication, and the other being certain adjustments made to their current lifestyle.

Medications:

It depends clearly on the doctor's opinion on how severe your fungal infection is.

Tropical medicine comes into play when the patient suffers from an athlete's foot, Jock itch. Tropical medication include

• Ointments

• Antifungal creams

• Sprays and Gels.

When they are found in the scalp or the nails, a prescription is required. The doctor may prescribe oral medications. Those medicines include:

• Terbinafine

• Griseofulvin (Gris- peg)

If not the doctor's recommendations, Over Counter medications, including skin creams of antifungal nature, can be used. These products must contain

• Miconazole

• Terbinafine

• Clotrimazole

• Related ingredients.

Lifestyle Adjustments:

Such infections require extra attention over medication. A slight shift in current lifestyle could be the means to a solution. Your doctor would insist on such adjustable which may fall within the following.

• As discussed, you would tend to rub off some of the infections on the bedding and your clothes. Therefore it's best to wash those sheets and Clothes every day.

• It's essential to keep those infected areas in your body totally dry after bathing.

• The infected areas would heal better if untouched. These would include clothes that keep rubbing those areas. Consider wearing loose clothes to prevent such touches.

• Infected areas should be consistently treated if ignored. Chances of a reoccurrence are high.

Home remedies

Apart from the medications discussed, there are home remedies to treat Ringworm. Here are a few among them.

1. Apple Cider vinegar:

The process:

• Take a small portion of Apple Cider vinegar and a cotton ball. The liquid should be undiluted.

• Soak the cotton ball deeply and rub the vinegar over the infected parts of the skin.

• Repeat this thrice a day.

2. Tea Tree oil:

Tea Tree Oil is believed to contain properties that are capable of healing antibacterial and antifungal. One can use it to cure fungal infections too. The process is:

• Apply the oil directly on the affected areas with a cotton ball.

• Repeat this three times a day

Dilute the tree oil by using Coconut oil and follow the same procedure if the skin you are treating is very sensitive.

3. Soap & Water:

The process:

It is a process to be followed before home remedy measures.

Use water and a bar of antibacterial soap to clean the affected area. Then apply home remedies.

Turmeric:

Turmeric is abundant in its health benefits. They possess antibacterial, Anti Inflammation and Anti Fungal properties.

The process:

• Douse the turmeric in water and grind it into a paste.

• Apply directly to the infected area and let it dry.

• You can also drink it with tea.

6. Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera creams can prevent inflammation, itchiness and discomfort.

Apart from the above, Oregano oil, Lemongrass oil, Lemongrass Tea, Powdered liquorice is also Home remedies.

E. How do we get Ringworm?

They are not a rarity at all. Everybody is susceptible to it if their immunity system is weak. The most prone are

• People who bathe using Public showers

• Wrestlers and similar athletes who engage in contact sports.

• People who sweat excessively

• People in the pet shop business

• People are wearing shoes but tightly like runners.

F. Prevention

They say ' Prevention is better than cure. Here are a few methods or precautions one should adopt to avoid the infection.

• Ensure that you maintain clean & dry skin.

• Shoes can stay tight but loose enough for air circulation

• Nails, whether finger or toes, should be kept clean. The only way to ensure that is to clip it often.

• Never carry forward your socks and underwear to the second day.

• Avoid walking without footwear in public bathing areas or toilets

• In case you are a pet owner, ensure that you wash your hands after playing with them. It would be best if you took them for a periodic check-up to check for Ringworms.

• Athletes who engage in contact sports have to keep themselves and all those sports kits clean and avoid sharing them.

G. Final Thoughts:

Fungal infections, even though not critical, can cause a lot of pain. The itching can be embarrassing and unhygienic. The nails would be loaded with them as you keep scratching them.

The good news is that there are multiple ways of treating Ringworm, and these have been discussed elaborately in the passage above. If all precautions have adhered to infections, fungal would never arise.