Daad ke karan

Hello friends, I am Dr. Ruchir Shah, a Dermatologist. In today's blog we will learn about fungal/ ringworm infection, its causes and treatment. 

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What is Ringworm infection?

Ringworm is a skin disease, it is also called fungal infection, ringworm, tinea infection, jock itch in English. As the name suggests, As the name suggest it is not caused by any worm (ringworm) but a fungus. It starts with a small pimple or papule and gradually it spreads and form a circular, ring shaped plaques.  The lesions are usually itchy. Read this entire blog to know what causes ringworm / what is the cause of ringworm / dad khaj kaise hota hai / dad khaj khujli.

Causes of Ringworm ( Causes of Ringworm / What causes Ringworm / What causes Ringworm / How does Ringworm itch / Reasons for Ringworm itching )

About 40 different species of fungus can cause ringworm. They are mainly caused by Trichophyton, Microsporum, and Epidermophyton. These fungi can thrive on your skin, especially moist areas. They can also survive for a long time as spores in the soil. Fungi can spread to humans (which causes ringworm) in five ways:

1. Person to Person
2. Animal to human
3. Through sweat and moisture
4. By coming in contact with fomites of the infected person
5. By direct contact with soil carrying the fungus

Person to Person:

You can get ringworm/ fungal infection if you come in direct contact with a person who has ringworm or if you come in contact with his comb or personal items like towel, clothes, bedsheet, handkerchief, through his infected hands, mobile etc. Infection in children usually spreads through contact with objects containing the fungus.

Animal to Human:

You can get ringworm if you touch an animal that is infected with ringworm or even objects that have come in contact with that animal. Cats and dogs are common sources, but other animals, such as animals living in farms, can spread the fungal/ ringworm infection.

By excessive sweat and moisture:

If you sweat a lot, your inner parts remain wet due to sweat and moisture, you have been roaming around the whole day wearing wet clothes as in rainy season, then you can get ringworm due to sweat, moisture and wetness. If you previously have had a ringworm infection, and you are not taking care of the personal hygiene and not keeping the inner parts dry,  then ringworm infection may recur. 

By coming in contact with fomites of the infected person:

You can get ringworm infection if you come in contact with an object or surface, such as a telephone or the floor of a public bathroom, the clothes, sheets, towels, handkerchiefs of an infected person. If you use a western toilet and a person who has ringworm has used it and then you use it and sit on it, then you can also get ringworm.

By direct contact with soil carrying the fungus:

Humans and animals can get ringworm infection through direct contact with soil containing the fungus. Soil containing the fungus can spread ringworm infection.

Who is more likely to get ringworm infection?

You are more likely to get fungal/ ringworm infection if you:

• Live in a place with a warm climate. Excessive sweating in a hot and humid environment can cause ringworm. If you live in such a place, you should make it a habit to wipe your inner parts with a dry cloth whenever you sweat.

• Weak immune system- If you have an underlying disease or a condition like diabetes, in which the immunity of your body decreases. Ringworm can spreads quickly in such a person and does not go away quickly.

• If you participate in sports (athlete), then you can get ringworm on your inner parts due to excessive sweating. Which is called jock itch in English.

• Men are more likely to get ringworm infection than females 

• If you have a habit of sharing your personal things with others

Tips to prevent the spread of fungal infection

Ringworm is a highly contagious condition and can spread very easily from one person to another. It can also spread easily by contact of the hand you have itched to other parts of your body, or even to someone else's body. Follow the hygienic lifestyle tips mentioned below to prevent it from spreading further:

• Wear loose-fitting and cotton clothes 

If you are thinking that wearing tight clothes or covering your body tightly will absorb the sweat and prevent further spread of the infection, but doing so will lock in moisture and slow down the healing process. Wear loose-fitting clothes, preferably made of cotton or other natural fabrics. This will wick away sweat and prevent the condition from worsening. Also, make sure you change your clothes at least once a day, as wearing the same clothes for more than a day can worsen the symptoms. 

• Change bedsheets everyday

Just like you change change your clothes every day, changing bedsheets and pillow covers everyday are also of importance. Because ringworm is very contagious, the fungus may get transferred through your bedsheets. If you sleep in these contaminated sheets every night, this can worsen the symptoms and infection can spread to other parts of your body, as well as to other people you share your bed with.

• Use anti-fungal medicines

To prevent the spread of fungal/ ringworm infection to the other parts of your body and to reduce symptoms, it is always recommended to consult a dermatologist. A dermatologist can prescribe you medication like ketoconazole, luliconazole, amorolfine, itraconazole, etc. These ingredients kill the germs and reduce the infection. While topical antifungal products can significantly reduce symptoms, they cannot completely cure the condition without the help of oral medication. A dermatologist not only prescribe you proper medication but can also advice you o do's and don'ts of ringworm infection. It is always advisable to keep the areas dry and use powder once the infection is cured and course from a dermatologist is completed. It helps to absorb the sweat that you get in these areas. 

Always remember

• Make others aware of your condition. This can help them take adequate precautions.
  

• Consult a skin specialist doctor. He will diagnose your disease and give you the right course of medication.

• Do not use medicines like steroids. This can worsen your problem further.

To check out our other fungal/ ringworm infection pertaining blogs both in English and Hindi please click on the links given below:

1. https://www.neodermatologist.com/blogs/fungal-infection-home-remedies 

2. https://www.neodermatologist.com/blogs/how-fungal-infection-evolves-in-the-skin 

3. https://www.neodermatologist.com/blogs/dad-ki-dawa 

4. https://www.neodermatologist.com/blogs/ringworm-how-to-treat 

Conclusion

Ringworm may not be a life-threatening infection, but it is important to diagnose and treat it promptly. This can prevent the infection from spreading to the other parts of the body. For this, it is very important to see a dermatologist. By taking a continuous course of medication for one and a half to two months, ringworm is completely cured. Staying away from the causes of ringworm (dad ka karan / what causes ringworm / what causes ringworm / dad khaj kaise hota hai / dad khaj khujli hone ka karan) is the most important thing to prevent it and its recurrences.