Ringworm is a common fungal skin condition caused by dermatophytes that is contagious and can be contracted from direct contact with another person or pet. It is easy to cure with over-the-counter remedies, but if symptoms persist for more than four weeks, a person should see a doctor. It can be prevented by wearing shower shoes in shower rooms, cleaning gym equipment after each use, treating family pets for fungus, and not sharing headgear.
It’s red, scaly, itchy, and looks like it has a red haze around it. Is it Lyme disease? No, it’s likely just ringworm.
Ringworm (tinea) is a very common fungal skin condition caused by dermatophytes. It is more common in children but can affect anyone. It usually has nothing to do with personal hygiene or lack thereof.
Ringworm is common because it is very contagious. A person can get it from direct contact with another person or pet or from touching something an infected person has touched. It is less commonly contracted from the ground, but it can happen. Children tend to be affected more frequently, as they are usually in close contact with each other than adults. The most common forms of the fungus in adults are probably athlete’s foot and jock itch. Some people even have it under their fingernails.
Most people who have fungus don’t know where or how they got it. The infection appears 10 to 14 days after exposure, usually as a small itchy pimple. It is usually ignored until it gets worse. In fact, it’s intense itching that often sends people to the doctor or pharmacy for relief. If it progresses to the “halo” stage, the sufferer may think they have some horrible disease, but the comforting reality is that ringworm is generally easy to cure. Drugstores are full of over-the-counter remedies for it, athlete’s foot and jock’s itch.
A sufferer should look for topical creams or sprays that have miconazole or clotrimazole as the active ingredient. These are both fungicides. Many products have an antipruritic as well, but the sufferer may wish to take something separate for the itching as well. If symptoms persist for more than four weeks, a person should see a doctor. Your doctor may prescribe an oral antifungal medication that will usually take care of the problem.
Ringworm can be prevented. Athletes should wear shower shoes in shower rooms. Parents and teachers should clean the gym or mats after each use and should treat family pets for fungus. Also, people should not share headgear of any kind. The fungus is annoying, but rarely serious.
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