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Ringworm Treatment - Causes and Home Remedies For Ringworm

Causes

Infection with tinea corporis or tinea capitis fungus. Infection is most likely when combined with the following:

• Diabetes mellitus.
• Exposure to darkness, moisture and warmth.
• Crowded or unsanitary locker-room or living conditions.
• Repeated abrasion of the skin or scalp from with clothing and protective gear. An athlete is especially vulnerable during hot weather when exercising while wearing an athletic uniform or head covering such as a swimming cap, football helmet or baseball cap.

Signs and symptoms

Red, itchy, circular, flat, scaling lesions with well-defined borders. They cause patchy hair loss on the scalp.

Diagnosis

Your doctor will diagnose ringworm primarily based on the appearance of the skin. If tests are needed, the fungus may appear florescent when your skin is examined with a blue light (called a Wood's lamp ) in a dark room. A more definitive diagnosis can be made by scraping the affected area of skin and examining the cells under a microscope.

Treatment

Fortunately, ringworm is fairly easy to diagnose and treat. Doctors usually can diagnose ringworm based on how it looks, but sometimes will scrape off a small sample of the flaky infected skin to test for fungus.

If you do have ringworm, your doctor will recommend an antifungal medication. A topical ointment or cream usually takes care of skin infections, but ringworm of the scalp or nails requires oral antifungal medication. Your doctor will decide which treatment is best for you.

Home remedies to treat ringworm

• Raw papaya is one of the most effective home remedies for ringworm. The slices of this fruit should be rubbed on the ringworm patches. A paste made from dried papaya seeds can also be applied beneficially on these ringworm patches
• Don't use towels used by others.
• Boil or chemically sterilize all clothing, towels or bed linens that have touched the lesions.
• Keep the skin dry. Moist, dark areas favor fungus growth.
• Wear cotton underwear. Change more than once a day. Avoid tight clothes.
• The leaves of holy basil are also useful in ringworm. The juice of these leaves should be extracted and applied over ringworm patches
• If the area is red, swollen and weeping, use salt-water compresses (1 teaspoon salt to 1 pint water). Apply 4 times a day for 2 to 3 days before starting the local antifungal medication.
• Shampoo the hair every day.
• Have the hair cut short, but don't shave the scalp. Place large sheets of paper under and around the hair and chair to catch all the clippings. Place a cloth drape around the shoulders, chest and back. Don't wear street clothes for a haircut. Wear something that can be sterilized, such as pajamas, a housecoat or smock. Repeat this procedure every 2 weeks for 6 months.
• Make a powder with Mustard seeds. Add some water and make a paste. Apply on the patch till it clears up.

Prevention

The fungi are so prevalent that total prevention is impossible. To minimize risk:

• Avoid  continuous exposure to overheated humid environments.
• Don't touch pets that have skin problems.