Acute and Chronic Ringworm of the Body

Tinea corporis can be acute or chronic. When acute, the fungus causes suddenly appearing, itchy, red patches that may fill with pus and spread rapidly. When chronic, tinea corporis spreads by slightly inflamed rashes more slowly, and tends to appear in body folds. Widespread chronic tinea corporis is harder to treat and is more likely to reappear.
With treatment, tinea corporis usually goes away within four weeks. Avoid scratching, as this may lead to skin infection.
It is important to distinguish ringworm of the body (tinea corporis) from similar common rashes.
One of the most distinctive signs of tinea corporis (ringworm) is the appearance of an itchy, red, circular rash in the shape of a ring. This rash may resemble a target or a bullseye, and it usually has raised edges. Finding one of these is a helpful way to distinguish this rash from other even more common rashes such as eczema. Eczema and other rashes may appear similar to ringworm, but they require very different treatment.
Lyme disease is a serious condition that can cause nerve pain, facial drooping, and brain inflammation, and its characteristic rash is also in the shape of a bullseye. One way to tell the difference is the raised lines that usually accompany ringworm rashes. While ringworm is caused by a fungus, Lyme disease is bacterial, so again, treatment for the two skin conditions is very different. Because of the serious consequences of Lyme disease, anyone in doubt should seek medical attention immediately. Ringworm of the Hand (Tinea Manuum)
Tinea manuum finds its way onto human hands through either soil, animals, or human contact. This form of ringworm is fairly uncommon and frequently confused with other skin conditions. Symptoms of tinea manuum may include:

• An Inflamed Rash, Often With Raised Borders,
• Peeling On The Palm,
• Dryness On The Palm,
• Mild Itching On The Palm, And
• A Blistered rash with sticky, clear fluid on the edges of the palm or fingers.

Often these symptoms are also present on both feet. The people most likely to:

• Contract Tinea Manuum Are Those Who
• Sweat Intensely,
• Frequently Engage In Manual Labor, Or
• Already Have Hand Dermatitis.
• Ringworm of the Nails (Tinea Unguium)
• Tinea unguium is usually caused by one of two fungi: Trichophyton rubrum or T. interdigitale. Although tinea unguium can refer to fungal infection of the fingernails or toenails, toenails are much more likely to contract this disease. Those especially prone to ringworm of the nails include men, older adults, diabetics, people with peripheral vascular disease, or anyone with a compromised immune system.
  
  

Some of the symptoms of tinea unguium include:

• Yellow, Brown, Or Otherwise Discolored Nails,
• Hard Nails,
• Brittle Nails,
• Thick Nails, And
• Nails that have an irregular shape.
• Without proper treatment, a nail infected with this fungal infection is at risk of falling off.
• Ringworm of the Face (Tinea Faciei)

Tinea faciei refers to ringworm infections on the face. This is an uncommon infection, and it can arise from contact with several sources, including:
Cats,
Dogs,
Cattle,
Ringworm Of The Nail (Tinea Unguium), And
Ringworm of the feet (tinea pedis).

Some of the common features of tinea faciei include patches that are:
Red, Scaly, And Round Or Oval,
Often Healed Or Less Scaly And Red In The Middle, And
Easily aggravated by sunlight.
Perhaps because it is uncommon, tinea faciei is often misdiagnosed as psoriasis, rosacea, contact allergic dermatitis, or many other non-fungal skin conditions.
Ringworm of the scalp (tinea capitis)
Tinea capitis is most common in children between the ages of 3 and 7, and is less often found in adults. The hair itself can be infected by various ringworm fungi, which may be spread from cattle, horses, pigs, dogs, and cats (especially kittens). One common culprit in the United States is T. tonsurans, which is spread from person to person, often has no symptoms, and is common in adults.

Some of the symptoms of ringworm on scalp include:

• Dry Scaling Similar To Dandruff That Is Accompanied With Hair Loss,
• Yellow Crusts And Matted Hair,
• Black Dots Of Hair Broken Off At The Scalp, With A Scaly Surface,
• Swollen Lymph Glands On The Neck
• A Smooth spot where the hair has fallen off, and
• An intensely inflamed mass similar to an abscess.
• Ringworm of the Foot (Tinea Pedis, Athlete's Foot)
If you have tinea pedis, the good news is you're not alone. This is the most common form of ringworm in humans. The bad news? It's also the most difficult to treat.

The bane of locker rooms and dormitory showers, tinea pedis can be an itchy, painful problem. Tinea pedis is most often found on the feet of young adult men. Ringworm on the foot can appear with several different types of symptoms, including:

• Dry Scaling On The Soles Of Feet That Is Patchy And Fine,
• Clusters Of Blisters On The Sides Of The Feet,
• Round, Dry Patches On The Top Of The Feet,
• Dry Soles That Are Not Inflamed, And
• Moist, peeling skin between toes (athlete's foot).

How Does Ringworm Spread?

Anytime you walk around barefoot in a communal shower, bathroom, changing room, or swimming pool, you risk being infected with tinea pedis. Even if the facility hasn't been used for months, the spores of the fungus may still be active on the surface.

What Does Athlete's Foot Look Like?
Athlete's foot is one common form of tinea pedis. If you find the skin between your toes moist, soft and easily pulled away, athlete's foot is a likely cause. Athlete's foot can cause a painful split in the skin, and it may give off an unpleasant smell. The symptoms of aAthlete's foot may not be caused by ringworm at all. They It can also be caused by:


• Bacterial Infections,
• Mold Infections,
• Skin Conditions Like Psoriasis And Eczema,< Injury, And
• A Buildup of thick corns due to toes pressing into each other.

Athletes are more likely to get athlete's foot because they fall into many categories at risk for this infection, including:

• Wearing Shoes With Poor Ventilation,
• Sweating Intensely,
• Keeping Feet Wet For Long Periods, And
• Walking through common areas like locker rooms and showers.

What Is Jock Itch? (Ringworm of the Groin, Tinea Cruris)

Another itchy problem is tinea cruris, more commonly known as jock itch. Most common among adult men, tinea cruris causes a scaly, reddish-brown rash with raised borders to form down the inner thighs. Sometimes ring-like rashes form on the buttocks as well. This infection is unlikely to form on the penis or vulva, or around the anus. Although jock itch is common, it is sometimes confused with other common conditions, such as:
Yeast Infection,
Psoriasis, And
Intetrigo, a chafing rash which results from skin rubbing against skin.
Ringworm of the Beard (Tinea Barbae, Barber's Itch)
Like certain forms of ringworm of the scalp, tinea barbae infects the hair itself on a man's face. Beards and moustaches make fertile feeding grounds for the fungi responsible for tinea barbae. In the days when men frequently stopped by the barber shop for a shave, this disease was once commonly spread by barbers with unsanitary practices. Today, tinea barbae is most common among farmers. Two of the fungi most commonly responsible for the condition, T. verrucosum and T. mentagrophytes, are carried by cattle and horses, respectively.

Common symptoms of tinea barbae include:


• Swelling And Marked Crusting,
• Red, Lumpy Areas Around The Face,
• Itching,
• Hairs That Are Easily Pulled Out, And
• Facial hair that breaks off.
• Tinea barbae can appear on the face or neck.

Is Ringworm Contagious?

Ringworm is highly contagious and can be spread multiple ways. The many fungi that cause ringworm thrive in warm, moist areas, making locker rooms, public restrooms, showers, public pools, saunas, and similar areas especially likely places to contract the disease. There are three ways ringworm can be contracted, based on the three groups of fungi that cause infections:
Zoophilic: "Animal-loving" fungi that live on cats, dogs, horses, cows, poultry, and other mammals.
Anthropophilic: "man-loving" fungi that are transmitted from person to person.
Geophilic: "earth-loving" fungi that occur naturally in the soil.
The most common source of ringworm for humans comes from the fungus Microsporum canis, which is usually found on cats and dogs (particularly cats). Sometimes the pets who carry ringworm show no symptoms themselves.

Ringworm Causes

To become infected, a person must come in contact with either an infected skin or hair fragment or a fungal spore. Spores can live for years in blankets, clothing, bedding, combs and other places.
To make matters worse, botanists believe these spores are airborne, meaning you don't actually have to touch a person, animal, or surface that is already infected merely being near ringworm spores may be enough to become infected.