What is Ringworm?

Ringworm is a common infection not caused by a worm as the name would imply but by a parasitic fungi organisms called dermatophytes. They feed on the dead layer of keratine protein found on the outer layer of the skin, nails and hair. These fungi flourish in the skin areas that remain moist, warm and hidden from the light.

This 3-Day Ringworm Treatment has been reviewed and supported by leading physicians familiar with the ringworm fungus. If you are suffering from ringworm, stop hoping the next treatment you try will solve the problem. This program will provide you with all of the necessary information and procedures to make sure the problem is brought under control and ensure it won’t come back. Get relief now.

What Does It Look Like?

There are a variety of ringworm infections that can occur on different areas of the body. The common term for ringworm is “tinea” and depending on where the infection is on the body it will be designated with a latin term for the body part. The tinea infections can each look a bit different but the most common type of ringworm on the body, tinea corporis, will have a red to brown circular bumpy patch of skin. The area will be lighter in the center giving it the ring appearance. Most ringworm infections are itchy and can be painful if not treated.

Make Sure It Is Ringworm

Ringworm can be mistaken for one of the following conditions granuloma annulare, discoid lupus, and sarcoidosis. Bullous tinea pedis (athlete foot with blisters) can mimic bullous drug reactions, bullous pemphigoid, and other bullous diseases of the skin. If suspected ringworm does not respond to routine antifungal treatment, further diagnostics must be performed, like a skin biopsy, a fungal culture, or a skin scraping for fungus identification.

How Do You Catch It?

Ringworm is spread by contact with an infected person, animal or infected surface, such as clothes, towels, and bedding. It’s more common among people living in crowded conditions or participating in contact sports, such as wrestling gymnastics, or martial arts. Ringworm can also be contracted through the soil.

Ringworm-in-children: Children going to day care have a higher risk of the infection as it is highly contagious and as children play one may pass it to another. Also children tend to be more susceptible to certain types of ringworm because their immune systems are not fully developed.

There are several kinds of ringworm that have developed over time and have been given their own names to differentiate them from some of the more well known types. A few of the examples are:

Majocchi’s granuloma, a deeper fungal infection of skin, hair, and hair follicles. It is most common in women who shave their legs.

Tinea corporis gladiatorum, a special name given to tinea corporis spread by skin-to-skin contact between wrestlers.

Tinea imbricata, a form of tinea corporis seen in Central and South America, Asia, and the South Pacific.

How is ringworm treated?

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 two weeks or so. 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); and terbinafine (Lamisil cream and solution). These treatments are effective for many cases of foot fungus as well.

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Systemic treatment: For a long time, the only effective antifungal tablet was griseofulvin (Fulvicin, Grifulvin, and Gris-PEG). In recent years, newer agents have been introduced that are both safer and more effective. These include terbinafine (Lamisil), itraconazole (Sporanox), and fluconazole (Diflucan). Reputations die hard, however, and many people continue to fear that even these newer agents are “bad for the liver,” when in fact they are quite safe when used properly.

Ringworm can affect people of all ages but most often affects children.  Animals can also be affected with this fungus problem.

Types of Ringworm Infections

A number of species of fungi cause ringworm. Dermatophytes of the genera Trichophyton and Microsporum are the most common causative agents. These fungi attack various parts of the body and lead to the following conditions:

Tinea corporis – Affects the arms, legs, and trunk
Tinea capitis – Affects the scalp
Tinea cruris – (Jock Itch) affects the groin area
Tinea pedis – (Athlete’s foot) affects the feet
Tinea unguium – Affects the fingernails and toenails
Tinea versicolor – Skin spots, not contagious, very common
Tinea manuum – Affects the hands and palm area

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What is cellulitis and what are the symptoms?

Cellulitis is a common bacterial infection of the lower layers of skin (dermis) and the subcutaneous tissues (areas underneath the skin). Cellulitis sometimes develops around wounds in the skin or surgical incisions. It usually begins as a small area of tenderness, redness and swelling. In other cases it arises without an obvious source for the bacterial infection. As the infection begins to enlarge, the person may develop a fever – sometimes with chills and sweats – and swollen lymph nodes near the infected area.

Who is at risk for cellulitis?

Anyone may develop cellulitis. However, people whose immune systems are weakened for any reason (including from chemotherapy for cancer or other immune-suppressing drugs) and those with diabetes are at highest risk for developing cellulitis.

Cellulitis may appear in areas where the skin has broken open, such as the skin near ulcers, such as those caused by athletes foot fungal problems. Surgical wounds can also create the conditions that allow the bacteria to enter the body. The infection can also occur in areas where there is no break in the skin at all, such as with chronic leg swelling (edema).

What causes cellulitis?

The majority of cases of cellulitis are caused by either staph (Staphylococcus) or strep (Streptococcus) bacteria.

Staph (Staphylococcus aureus) is the most common bacteria that causes cellulitis. There is a growing incidence of community-acquired infections due to methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), a particularly dangerous form of this bacteria that is resistant to many antibiotics and is more difficult to treat.

Strep (usually group A or B Streptococcus) is also a common cause of cellulitis. A form of rather superficial cellulitis caused by strep is called erysipelas; its conditions are characterized by spreading hot, bright red circumscribed area on the skin with a sharp raised border. Due to these factors it is sometimes referred to as the "flesh-eating bacteria" and are, in fact, also a strain of strep that can sometimes rapidly destroy tissues.

Cellulitis can be caused by many other types of bacteria.

1. In children under 6 years of age, H. flu (Hemophilus influenzae) bacteria can cause cellulitis, especially on the face, arms, and upper torso.




2. Cellulitis from a dog or cat bite or scratch may be caused by the Pasteurella multocida bacteria, which has a very short incubation period of only four to 24 hours.




3. Aeromonas hydrophilia, Vibrio vulnificus, and other bacteria are causes of cellulitis that develops after exposure to freshwater or seawater.




4. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is another type of bacteria that can cause cellulitis, typically after a puncture wound.

Is cellulitis contagious?

Cellulitis is not contagious because it is an infection of the skin’s deeper layers and the skin’s top layer provides a cover over the infection.

Where does cellulitis occur?

Cellulitis may occur anywhere on the body, but the legs and feet are the most common site of the infection, followed by the arms, and then the head and neck areas. In special circumstances, such as following surgery or trauma wounds, cellulitis can develop in the abdomen or chest areas. In cases of morbid obesity, it can also develop in the abdominal area.

How is cellulitis treated

First, it is critical for the doctor to distinguish whether or not the inflammation is due to an infection. This can be difficult at times with many cases of cellulitis because the concentration of bacteria may be low and cultures fail to show the cause of the problem.

When it proves difficult to distinguish whether or not the inflammation is due to an infection, doctors sometimes treat with antibiotics just to be sure. If the condition does not respond, it may need to be addressed by different methods dealing with types of inflammation that are not infected.

Antibiotics, such as derivatives of penicillin or other types of antibiotics that are effective against the responsible bacteria, are used to treat cellulitis. If the bacteria turn out to be resistant to the chosen antibiotics or in patients who are allergic to penicillin, other appropriate antibiotics can be substituted. In many cases, treatment requires the administration of intravenous antibiotics in a hospital setting, since oral antibiotics may not always provide sufficient penetration of the injury to be effective. In certain cases, intravenous antibiotics can be administered at home.