Introduction

Ringworm is a term for fungal infection that resides on the surface your skin. An earlier belief that it was caused due to worms has given its name.

Ringworm is a common disorder of the skin. It is primarily found in children but can affect people of all ages. Tinea is the medical term for ringworm.

Ringworm is contagious and can be passed from person to person (common cause of ringworm). It can also be passed from an animal to human or from soil to human. This fungus can grow and multiply on your scalp, skin or nails.

In comparison to adults, children are more commonly infected with ringworm on scalp.

You can also get ringworm infection through unwashed clothes, pool surfaces or pets such as cats. A ringworm infection on your groin is known as jock itch.

Ringworm symptoms appear as round spots or markings on your skin. But all round spots on your skin should not be taken as fungal infections.

Over the counter medications in the form of tablets, creams and lotions are generally used for ringworm treatment.

The exact cause of such spots can be made by your doctor who will examine the skin scrapings under the microscope for ringworm symptoms.

Cause of Ringworm

Your body is a host to many bacteria and fungi. While many among these are beneficial to your body, the bad one’s can reproduce in great numbers and give you an infection.

All types of fungus organisms causing ringworm belong to a group called Dermatophytes (fungus causing skin disease).

These fungi can grow on your nails, skin or scalp and are the main cause of ringworm. Fungi can also be found in soil.

They need moist and warm areas to thrive such as folds of skin in your groin (in the form of jock itch) or between your toes.

An infection of ringworm on scalp can cause hair loss in patches, which is common among children.

You can get ringworm when you touch or groom your pet that has ringworm infection that appears as a missing patch of fur from the skin.

Coming in contact with objects that are infected by a person or animal can also give you ringworms.

When you touch the surface of such infected objects you are at an increased risk of infection. Ringworm cures and treatments clear off the fungus you catch from such surfaces.

Infected bed sheets, towels, combs, door knobs and public showers can possibly gives you ringworm infections.

Ringworm Symptoms

It is very common to have ringworm infection in your groin in the form of jock itch. It appears as a rash which spreads slowly and resembles a ring.

With an infection of ringworm on scalp, you may experience a small pimple that increases in size. It often leaves scaly patches often without hair. But this is temporary baldness and the hair re-grow once the infection clears off.

An athlete’s foot is nothing but ringworm of the foot. This appears as cracked or scaly skin mainly between our toes. Athlete’s foot infections respond very slowly to ringworm cures and treatments.

Nails get thicker, brittle or can crumble if you have ringworm affecting your nails.

Your ringworm symptoms can include:

• Your skin can become itchy, raised, red, patchy and scaly. The red patches can be of normal skin color in the center. This creates an impression of a ring.
• Your affected skin parts can appear light in color or may have a darker tone.
• You will have bald patches where the skin is affected, especially in areas where hair row.
• Your nails can become thick, discolored or even crumble.

Ringworm Treatment

Ringworm cures and treatments include medications in the form of tablets, liquid or lotion. The tablets have to be taken orally by mouth while the cream, lotion or drying powder has to be applied topically to the area affected by the infection.

Generally, ringworm medications are freely available as over the counter drugs.  Most of the ringworm infections such as jock itch can be treated at home by applying cream or lotion to your groins for a stipulated period.

These are fungus killing medications which generally clear off the infection once you go through the full course of ringworm treatment.

During the course of ringworm cures and treatments, it is important to keep your skin dry and clean.

If you have severe ringworm infection that does not respond fully to ringworm treatment through over the counter medications you should refer your doctor for further evaluation.