About Ringworms

Ringworm is the common name for a set of fungal infections that attack the skin. The name "ringworm" may be a bit confusing as it seems to imply that the infection is caused by a worm. However, there are no worms involved in any ringworm infection. Ringworm is the result of an infection by a fungus from the dermatophyte family. The infection often generates a circular rash that is raised at the edges and shaped similarly to a worm curled in a circle.

Features

• The dermatophytes that cause ringworm are parasites that live off of the keratin found in dead skin, nail and hair cells. Humans and animals obtain the infection from contact with a dermatophyte fungus on a surface. The fungi then build a colony in the infected tissue and expand outward in a circular pattern. Ringworm is a common infection that is often passed from person to person.

Identification

• Ringworm is often easy to identify because of the recognizable ring-shaped pattern, which is lighter in the middle of the rash and has a raised outer edge. This rash is typically accompanied by other symptoms such as itching and loss of hair. If ringworm is suspected but can not be verified visually, a skin scraping may be obtained from the suspect area so that the cause of the infection can be determined microscopically.

Types

• Ringworm can infect a variety of areas in the body and commonly attack regions that are prone to cracks in the skin such as the hands and feet. The infection known as "athlete's foot" is actually the result of ringworm medically known as tinea pedis. A similar infection in the hands is known as tinea mamuum. If the area infected is the trunk it is called tinea corporis; if the infection attacks the nail it is named tinea onychomycosis and when the scalp is affected the infection is termed tinea capitis. Another common condition called "jock itch" is from the ringworm infection known as tinea cruris.

Effects

• Depending on the location of the infection ringworm generally results in a rash, itching, localized swelling and redness. If the infection impacts a hair-covered area of the body, a circular patch of hair loss may result. In the nails are the location infected they may thicken, crack and discolor.

Considerations

• Ringworm is transmitted via contact with an infected person, animal, soil or surface. Dermatophytes can live on objects for some time so contaminated items such as floors, towels and linens are often the source of the infection. Common methods of transmission include contact sports, infected daycare centers, domestic animals and shared bed linens. Ringworm is fairly common in the U.S., so common that it is estimated that one to three percent the population have a dermatophyte infection of the toe of finger nail.