The ringworm fungus can live on surfaces for months. Disinfectant sprays like Lysol® or bleach can remove the fungus. Wash clothes, sheets and towels in hot water and detergent to prevent ringworm from spreading.
The fungi that cause this infection can live on skin, surfaces, and on household items such as clothing, towels, and bedding. Ringworm goes by many names.
Most mild cases of ringworm usually clear up in 2 to 4 weeks. But treatment might be needed for up to 3 months if the infection is more serious, or affects the nails or the scalp.
Left untreated, ringworm can last for years. With medical treatment, ringworm usually clears up anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks. Ringworm infections that persist may require an oral antifungal medication to be prescribed. Most children respond well to treatment.
Ringworm may be hard to cure. This condition is also more common in males and happens more often during warm weather conditions. It is very rare in females.
If you have some ringworm on your hands you can use hand sanitiser to kill it, but ringworm on porous surfaces like clothing and carpets will need to be washed out. Never put hand sanitiser on your pets skin or fur.
When cleaning the area with ringworm, wash the affected area(s) and dry it (them) with a clean towel. Use another clean towel to dry the other parts of your body. Before using these towels again, wash them in hot, sudsy water. To keep the area dry, avoid wearing clothes, socks, and shoes that make you sweat.
Ringworm usually goes away within 4 weeks of treatment.
Myth 5: Ringworm isn't contagious
Ringworm is so contagious, in fact, that you don't even have to touch someone to get infected. The fungus can linger in places like locker room floors, as well as on hats, combs, and brushes. If you share an infected brush or comb, you can develop ringworm of the scalp.
Over-the-counter cleaners that publicize that it is effective against T. mentragrophytes can be used if applied liberally to the surface and allowed to remain wet for a 10-minute contact time. Household bleach can also be used at a 1:32 dilution and also must have a 10-minute contact time before wiping away.
Here are some guidelines for environmental disinfection of dermatophytes: All bedding, brushes, combs, rugs, cages, etc. should be vacuumed, scrubbed, and washed with hot water, detergent, and 1:100 chlorine laundry bleach, or another effective disinfectant (see above).
These fungal infections, medically known as "tinea", are not serious and are usually easily treated. However, they are contagious and easily spread.
Steroid creams can make ringworm worse because they weaken the skin's defenses. Steroid creams can allow ringworm infections to spread to cover more of the body. Ringworm that has been treated with steroid creams can have an unusual appearance, making it hard for healthcare providers to diagnose.
Tinea pedis is commonly referred to as athlete's foot, which may be of either the dry or inflammatory type. In the latter type, the infection may lie dormant much of the time and undergo occasional acute exacerbations, with the development of vesicles (blisters) affecting chiefly the skin folds between the toes.
Washing clothes, athletic gear, sheets and towels in hot water and detergent. Disinfecting surfaces with bleach or sprays like Lysol®.
Take a bath twice a day.
Always use lukewarm water. Avoid using very hot water. Hot water favors fungal growth in the body.
Ultraviolet (UV) light does, in fact, kill ringworms! However, while ringworms cannot survive under prolonged exposure to UV light, of which natural sunlight is an excellent source, you should still seek medical attention if you have ringworm.
People who use public showers or locker rooms, athletes (particularly those who are involved in contact sports such as wrestling),2–4 people who wear tight shoes and have excessive sweating, and people who have close contact with animals may also be more likely to come in contact with the fungi that cause ringworm.
In natural medicine, it is generally believed that the fungal (yeast) organisms responsible for infections such as ringworm thrive on foods containing sugar (including the sugar in fruit), refined carbohydrates (like pasta and white rice) and foods that are mouldy, yeasty or fermented (most breads, aged cheeses, dried ...
To prevent ringworm from spreading or infecting other areas of the body, keep the skin as clean as possible. To do this, rinse the infection with soap and warm water once or twice daily. Be sure to dry the skin fully, as fungus thrives in moist areas.