Origins, Signs And Remedies Of Ringworm
There was a belief a long time ago that ringworm was caused by a worm and hence the name, but it is not caused by a worm. It is a fungus which cause...
There was a belief a long time ago that ringworm was caused by a worm and hence the name, but it is not caused by a worm. It is a fungus which causes infection of the skin. This fungus lives and spreads on the skin’s top layer and also on the hair. It grows well in warm areas that are moist like in skin folds, locker rooms and in swimming pools.
This condition is highly contagious and will quickly spread when there is personal skin contact between persons or between human and animal. It can also very rapidly be spread when clothing, sports equipment and gear and other personal items are shared between people.
The rash may sometimes form a ring shaped design, but not always, however it will be extremely itchy. If the hands are infected, the skin will become dry, scaly and thick. The web between the person’s fingers will be moist and will be covered in sores that are open.
As a preventative measure do not share personal items like towels, your sports gear and equipment, your clothes and your bedding with anyone. Wash your clothes with hot water which has had an anti fungal soap added as soon as you think that you have been infected with the fungus. Wear foot covering like sandals or something like slippers whenever you are in a public shower room or in a locker room. Whenever you are involved in a contact sport, ensure that you wash your skin and hair thoroughly to avoid infection. Your body should be dried completely after taking a bath or shower and your feet should be dried last.
Cotton clothing that is not tight-fitting should be worn. You have to put on clean underwear and clean socks every single day. If you have fungal athlete’s foot, put on your socks before you put on your undies as this will stop the spread of the fungi from the feet to the groin. If your pet has some hair missing and there are bald patches, that could be a sign of a fungal infection and a visit to the vet should be done promptly. It is possible for the fungus to be spread to a human from an animal however this is rare.
A diagnosis of this particular fungal infection will normally be made by scrapings from the area where the rash is and using a microscope to identify the fungus. An additional test that will be done is a culture test to enable successful conclusion and to find a suitable cure for the condition.
There are some home treatments which are very effective and non-prescription ointments are readily available as well. It should not take too long for the rash to go away once treatment has begun. Always make sure that you use the medication as directed and to complete the course of the treatment or you may find that there will be re-infection. It the ointments and lotions are not effective, you should consider prescribed ointments or lotions. If for whatever reason you decide not to treat the infection, blisters will start forming on the skin and the blister cracks will most certainly become infected. At this point you will have to be given antibiotics.
When there are symptoms of ringworm in the people you live with, it is imperative that it gets treated straightaway so that other persons in the area are protected from getting the condition.
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