Ringworm Treatment, Symptoms, Causes & Medicine

A woman seeks treatment for ringworm from a doctor.Source: MedicineNet

Facts you should know about ringworm

Ringworm is a common fungal skin infection and is not due to a worm.
The medical term for ringworm is tinea. The skin disease is further named for the site of the body where the infection occurs.
Some types of ringworm infection include tinea corporis, tinea capitis, tinea pedis ("athlete's foot"), and tinea cruris ("jock itch").
Ringworm causes a scaly, crusted rash that may appear as round, ring-like red patches on the skin. Other symptoms and signs of ringworm include patches of hair loss or scaling on the scalp, itching, and blister-like lesions.
Ringworm is contagious and can be passed through direct contact from person to person.
Ringworm can be successfully treated with antifungal medications used either topically or orally.

Ringworm vs. Eczema

Ringworm is a common fungal infection of the skin (ringworm is also termed tinea or dermatophytosis), and the different types of ringworm are named for the location of the rash on the body (for example, tinea corporis [arm and/or leg], scalp [tinea capitis]). These infections were originally termed ringworm because they form circular rashes (rings) with redness and itchiness. Hair loss may occur. Eczema is a skin condition (dermatitis) in which patches of skin become dry, rough, and inflamed with blisters that are itchy and cause scratching, bleeding, and typically have no obvious cause. Eczema is also termed atopic dermatitis and has subtypes like contact dermatitis, dyshidrotic eczema, stasis dermatitis, and neurodermatitis. It is a chronic skin disease that usually begins in babies (infants and toddlers) and can continue into adulthood. In many individuals, the cause is unknown. Stages of eczema are termed acute, subacute, and chronic.

Learn more about how ringworm differs from eczema »

Ringworm is a contagious disease and can be passed through skin-to-skin contact or by sharing combs and brushes, other personal care items, or clothing.Source: CDC

Is ringworm contagious?

Ringworm occurs in people of all ages, but it is particularly common in children. It occurs most often in warm, moist climates. Ringworm is a contagious disease and can be passed through skin-to-skin contact or by sharing combs and brushes, other personal care items, or clothing. It is also possible to become infected with ringworm after coming in contact with the locker room or pool surfaces. The skin infection can also affect dogs and cats, and pets may transmit the infection to humans. It is common to have several areas of ringworm at once in different body areas.

A person has ringworm on the body.Source: Bigstock

What does the term ringworm mean?

The term ringworm or ringworms refers to fungal infections that are on the surface of the skin. The name is derived from the early belief that the infection was due to a worm, which it is not. Ringworm is a fungal infection in the skin. Nevertheless, the name ringworm remains. Some of these fungi produce a rash of round scaly spots on the skin, but many do not. On the other hand, many round, red spots or rashes on the skin are not due to a fungal infection. A physical examination of the affected skin, evaluation of skin scrapings under the microscope, and culture tests can help health care professionals make the appropriate diagnosis and distinctions from other conditions. A proper diagnosis is best for successful treatment.

The medical term for ringworm is tinea. (Tinea is the Latin name for a growing worm.) Health care professionals add another word to indicate the part of the body where the fungus is located. Tinea capitis, for instance, refers to scalp ringworm, tinea corporis to fungus of the body, tinea pedis to fungus of the feet, and so on.

Several types of skin fungi cause ringworm.Source: iStock

What causes ringworm?

Although the world is full of yeasts, molds, and fungi, only a few cause skin disease. These agents are called dermatophytes (which means "skin fungi"). An infection with these fungi is medically known as dermatophytosis. Skin fungi can only live on the dead layer of keratin protein on top of the skin. They rarely invade deeper into the body and cannot live on mucous membranes, such as those in the mouth or vagina.

Scientific names for the most common of the dermatophyte fungi that cause ringworm include Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton tonsurans, Trichophyton interdigitale, and/or Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Microsporum canis, and Epidermophyton floccosum.

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Ringworm is caused by a fungus.
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A person examines in between toes for skin fungi.Source: iStock

What are the sources of skin fungi?

Some fungi live only on human skin, hair, or nails. Others live on animals and only sometimes are found on human skin. Still, others live in the soil. It is often difficult or impossible to identify the source of a particular person's skin fungus. The fungi may spread from person to person (anthropophilic), from animal to person (zoophilic), or from the soil to a person (geophilic).

Heat and moisture help fungi grow and thrive, which makes them more commonly found in skin folds such as those in the groin area or between the toes. This also accounts for their reputation as being caught from showers, locker rooms, and swimming pools. This reputation is exaggerated, though, since many people with "jock itch" or "athlete's foot" have not contracted the infection from locker rooms or athletic facilities.

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Ringworm transmission is favorable in showers.Source: Bigstock

What are risk factors for ringworm?

As described previously, it is possible to acquire ringworm from a variety of places and circumstances. The greatest risk factor is coming in contact with an affected individual. Warm, moist areas are favorable conditions for the growth of fungi, so areas such as communal showers and locker rooms are areas in which transmission is favorable. However, any contact with an infected person or a contaminated surface can cause ringworm infection.

A man uses a mirror to examine his head for ringworm.Source: iStock

What types of ringworm are there? What are ringworm symptoms and signs?

The following are the different types of ringworm or tinea:

Tinea barbae: Ringworm of the bearded area of the face and neck, with swelling and marked crusting, is often accompanied by itching, sometimes causing the hair to break off. In the days when men went to the barber daily for a shave, tinea barbae was called barber's itch.

Tinea capitis: Scalp ringworm commonly affects children, mostly in late childhood or adolescence. This condition may spread in schools. Tinea capitis appears as scalp scaling that is associated with bald spots (in contrast to seborrhea or dandruff, for instance, which do not cause hair loss). Occasionally, an erion (a pus-filled, raised swelling) may develop in severe cases of ringworm of the scalp.

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Ringworm causes an itchy rash.Source: iStock

Types of ringworm: tinea corporis and tinea cruris. What are the symptoms?

Tinea corporis: When fungus affects the skin of the body, it often produces the round spots of classic ringworm. The first stage of symptoms involves a red, scaly area of skin that may be slightly raised (plaque). This stage tends to worsen rapidly. The condition progresses to form the characteristic ring shape. Sometimes, these spots have an "active" outer border as they slowly grow and advance. Sometimes, scaling, crusting, raised areas, or even blister-like lesions can appear, particularly in the active border. It is important to distinguish ringworm of the body from other skin conditions, such as nummular eczema. This condition, and others, may appear similar to ringworm, but they are not due to a fungal infection and require different treatment.

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Tinea Corporis

Tinea cruris: Tinea of the groin ("jock itch") tends to have a reddish-brown color and extends from the folds of the groin down onto one or both thighs. Other conditions that can mimic tinea cruris include yeast infections, psoriasis, and intertrigo, a chafing rash that results from the skin rubbing against the skin.

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Ringworm that involves the hands is called tinea manus.Source: Bigstock

Types of ringworm: tinea faciei and tinea manus. What are the symptoms?

Tinea faciei (faciale): ringworm on the face except in the area of the beard. On the face, ringworm is rarely ring-shaped. Characteristically, it causes red scaly patches with indistinct edges.

Tinea manus: ringworm involving the hands, particularly the palms and the spaces between the fingers. It typically causes thickening (hyperkeratosis) of these areas, often on only one hand. Tinea manus is a common companion of tinea pedis (ringworm of the feet). It is also called tinea manuum.

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Athlete’s foot is a common fungal infection.Source: WebMD

Types of ringworm: tinea pedis and tinea unguium. What are the symptoms?

Tinea pedis: Athlete's foot may cause scaling and inflammation with itching and burning irritation in the toe webs, especially the one between the fourth and fifth toes. Another common form of tinea pedis produces a thickening or scaling of the skin on the heels and soles. This is sometimes referred to as the "moccasin distribution." Occasionally, tinea causes blisters between the toes or on the sole. Aside from athlete's foot, tinea pedis is known as tinea of the foot or, more loosely, fungal infection of the feet. Tinea pedis is an extremely common skin disorder. It is the most common and perhaps the most persistent of the fungal (tinea) infections. It is rare before adolescence. It may occur in association with other fungal skin infections such as tinea cruris (jock itch).

Tinea unguium: Finally, fungal infection can make the fingernails and, more often, the toenails yellow, thick, and crumbly. This is referred to as fungal nails or onychomycosis.

A doctor examines a female patient for ringworm.Source: iStock

What tests do health care professionals use to diagnose ringworm?

Often, the diagnosis of ringworm is obvious from its location and appearance. Otherwise, skin scrapings for microscopic examination and a culture of the affected skin can establish the diagnosis of ringworm. If the diagnosis is unclear, a potassium hydroxide (KOH) preparation of a skin scraping can be reviewed under the microscope to confirm the diagnosis of a fungus. If a fungus infection is present and the skin problem is misdiagnosed, inappropriate treatment might be prescribed that could actually worsen the infection.

What kinds of health care professionals treat ringworm?

Ringworm is treated by primary-care specialists, including internists, pediatricians (for ringworm in a child), and family medicine specialists. Because it is a skin condition, many people also seek medical advice from a dermatologist for ringworm. In rare, complicated ringworm infection, an infectious-disease specialist may be consulted.

To cure ringworm, it is necessary to take antifungal medications.Source: MedicineNet

What is the treatment for ringworm? Are there home remedies for ringworm?

Home remedies cannot cure ringworm. To cure ringworm, it is necessary to take antifungal medications. Ringworm can be treated topically (with external applications) or systemically (for example, with oral medications):

Topical treatment: When fungus affects the skin of the body or the groin, many antifungal creams can clear the condition in around two weeks. Examples of such preparations include those that contain clotrimazole (Cruex cream, Desenex cream, Lotrimin cream, lotion, and solution), miconazole (Monistat-Derm cream), ketoconazole (Nizoral cream), econazole (Spectazole), naftifine (Naftin), and terbinafine (Lamisil cream and solution). These treatments are effective for many cases of foot fungus as well. Many of these antifungal creams are available as over-the-counter preparations. It is usually necessary to use topical medications for at least two weeks. More recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the antifungal medication luliconazole (Luzu), the first topical azole antifungal agent with a one-week once-daily treatment regimen for the management of tinea cruris and tinea corporis in adults aged 18 years or older.

Systemic treatment: Some fungal infections do not respond well to external applications. Examples include scalp fungus and fungus of the nails. To penetrate these areas and for particularly severe or extensive disease, oral medications can be used.

For a long time, the only effective antifungal tablet was griseofulvin (Fulvicin, Grifulvin, and Gris-PEG). Now, other agents are available that are both safer and more effective. These include terbinafine, itraconazole (Sporanox), and fluconazole (Diflucan). Oral medications are usually given for a three-month course.

Common recommendations for ringworm prevention along these lines are for men to wear loose-fitting boxer shorts, for women to avoid pantyhose, and so forth.Source: N/A

Is it possible to prevent ringworm?

Conventional wisdom holds that minimizing sweat and moisture can help prevent fungal infections. Common recommendations for ringworm prevention along these lines are for men to wear loose-fitting boxer shorts, for women to avoid pantyhose, and so forth. Whether these measures, some of which are quite difficult to implement, are really worth all of the effort is open to question.

You can also take steps to prevent the spread of ringworm infections. Do not share clothing, towels, hairbrushes, combs, hair accessories, sports gear, or other personal-care items. Wearing sandals or shoes in gyms, locker rooms, and at pools can help reduce your chances of contracting an athlete's foot. Be sure that your child also wears shoes in locker rooms and around pools. You should avoid touching pets that have signs of ringworm (typically bald spots). Wash hands after touching pets and be sure that a child washes his/her hands after touching pets.

If your pet has ringworm, wear gloves and long sleeves when handling your pet, and vacuum often in areas of the home frequented by your pet. You can kill fungal spores by disinfecting surfaces and bedding by using a solution of diluted chlorine bleach, benzalkonium chloride, or strong detergents. A veterinarian can treat your pet so that the infection can be eradicated.

Ringworm of the skin typically resolves after two to three weeks of treatment, while cases of ringworm of the scalp or nails may require treatment for a few months.Source: N/A

What is the prognosis (outlook) for ringworm?

Ringworm can be cured with appropriate treatment. Ringworm of the skin typically resolves after two to three weeks of treatment, while cases of ringworm of the scalp or nails may require treatment for a few months. Complications are rare and can include a secondary bacterial skin infection or a widespread fungal infection (extremely rare and more likely to occur in individuals with suppressed immune systems).