Ringworm: causes, symptoms, treatment

Ringworm is essentially a fungal infection of the skin. This disease occurs at any age, but most often children and adolescents suffer from it. Let's look at the nature of this ailment.

Ringworm causes

This disease manifests itself as a result of infection with the fungus Trichophyton tonsurans. This fungus was discovered over a hundred years ago. Most often, it affects the hairy part of the skin, which is why it got this name. The fungus has a zoophilic and anthropophilic form. The zoophilic form becomes the cause of the infiltrative-suppurative form of the disease, and the anthropophilic form of the fungus causes the superficial form of the disease and the chronic form.

The disease has several stages of development and several routes of infection. For example, you can get infected by touching the skin of a sick person, using some household items with an infected person. Ringworm can infect animals, so in certain cases, infection occurs after contact with the fur of an infected animal. The spores of the fungus that provoke the disease are able to maintain their viability if they enter the soil for three months. Therefore, in some cases, you can get infected through contact with the soil.

But contact with an infected person does not always lead to the development of the disease. There are several factors that contribute to the development of ringworm:

• Repeated contact with an infected person.
• Weak immune defenses.
• Failure to observe basic hygiene.
• Repeated contact with animals.
• Low levels of vitamin A in the body.
• Wounds, cracks and abrasions on the skin.
• The presence of ailments in the chronic stage.

Ringworm symptoms

It takes some time from the moment of infection to the manifestation of the very first external signs. Usually this period ranges from 5 days to 1 month. It is not difficult to recognize the presence of ringworm. Among the first symptoms are flaky skin at the site of the lesion. Along with peeling, loss is observed hair in the affected area.

Initially, redness, a stain is formed on the skin itches and peels off. Usually the patient does not attach importance to this phenomenon. Over time, the size of the spot increases, its edges turn bright red and become covered with small pimples. New foci of the disease are formed around them.

With damage to the scalp hair deteriorate, begin to break off and fall out. If a person falls ill with a superficial form of lichen, his hair always suffers and his nails deteriorate. Several lesions appear on the head in the form of uneven circles. Hair in these places breaks off at the level of one or two centimeters from the surface of the skin. The hair itself is covered with a gray bloom. If the disease spreads to smooth skin, then a red spot is formed with vesicles along the edges and peeling in the center.

If this disease is not treated, then it flows into the chronic stage. In this case, the symptoms lose their intensity, the disease lasts for a long time. Scars form on the scalp, bluish spots with peeling remain on the skin, the nails become thinner and exfoliate.

When infected with an infiltrative-suppurative form, painful nodules with pus appear on the head. Hair in this place falls out very quickly, the site of infection becomes covered with crusts, from under which drops or trickles of pus come out. With this form, the body temperature often rises, the lymph nodes increase. The patient feels a lack of energy, he has a headache. This form of the disease most often goes away without any treatment. This is due to the fact that the pus kills the fungus. After recovery, the skin in the affected area is covered with scars, and the person develops immunity to the disease.

Ringworm treatment

This disease is treated for a long time. This process takes up to one and a half months. Depending on the severity of the disease, treatment can be local or with the use of drugs inside. If the disease affects the skin on the head, then the hair must be shaved off. If the patient has an infiltrative form of the disease, then the crusts are removed with a scalpel.

For external use, ointments, creams or gels are prescribed. Ointments have a thicker consistency. They stay on the skin surface longer and have a more pronounced healing effect. Usually use sulfuric ointment, salicylic or sulfur-tar. They also prescribe Lamisil or Microspor ointment. Ointments can be combined with iodine tincture. To do this, in the morning, the affected area of ​​the skin is smeared with iodine, and at night, an ointment is applied with a bandage.

Ringworm gels are highly absorbent and odorless. They have a high concentration of medicinal components that can destroy the fungus in a short time. Usually, Exifin gel or Mikogel-KMP is prescribed.

Solutions are used to treat the hairy part of the skin. They perfectly penetrate into the deep layers of the skin. They can also be used on smooth areas of the skin before applying the ointment. For treatment, a solution of Iodicirin, Vokadin or Nitrofungin is prescribed.

If local treatment does not work well, then drugs in tablets with antifungal effect are used. They speed up the healing process and destroy the fungus in any organ. For this purpose, tablets Orungal, Griseofulvin or Lamisil are used. These drugs are very effective, but at the same time they cause side effects. Therefore, you should not take them on your own.

Ringworm prevention

As you know, it is better to prevent a disease than to deal with it later. This is especially true of such an unpleasant disease as ringworm. To do this, you must carefully observe hygiene, use only personal combs and brushes.

If your family already has a sick person or animal, then it is necessary to take measures to prevent infection of the rest of the household with the disease. To do this, first of all, the patient must be isolated until he fully recovers. All items used by a sick person must be disinfected. All family members of the patient, as well as the animals in the house, must be examined for infection. In order to exclude the initial infection with ringworm in all children's institutions, it is necessary to conduct regular inspections.