Ringworm - What You Need To Know If You Have It

Although a lot of people have never heard of ringworm, it is more common than you may think. It can affect animals as well as people and is highly contagious.

Ringworm can infect areas such as your scalp, feet, finger and toe nails as well as your skin anywhere on your body. Organisms that are called dermatophytes are the cause of ringworm.

How To Know If You Have Ringworm

You can know immediately whether you have ringworm by the red rash and ring that it forms on your skin. The ring can get scaly and begin to itch severely.

On the scalp it can cause your hair to fall out and on your nails it can turn them hard, thick and discolored.

Of course, athlete's foot is another variation of ringworm and causes severe itching in between your toes. It can nearly drive you crazy!

Treatment For Ringworm

The most common form of treatment for ringworm is a topical anti-fungal cream or ointment. There are several good brands you can purchase at any drug store or pharmacy. You can also get your doctor to give you a prescription, but this is not usually necessary.

There are also natural treatments for ringworm that seem to work as well as over the counter medicine. These include:

Tea Tree Oil - This oil is excellent at healing so many different ailments with ringworm being just one of them.

Vinegar - Putting vinegar on the affected area will kill the infection.

Iodine - This is an old fashioned remedy that still works today.

Sea Salt - Mixed with warm water, sea salt helps kill the fungus and make the area more comfortable.

Only in rare circumstances when none of these remedies work would you need to see a doctor. While it is not pleasant to look at, ringworm is very easy to cure.