You typically apply the antifungal twice a day for 10 to 14 days. To treat the itch, it often helps to apply a wet, cool washcloth to the area for 20 to 30 minutes. You may need to apply cool compresses 2 to 6 times a day.
Apply this medication to the affected skin, usually twice a day or as directed by your doctor. Dosage and length of treatment depends on the type of infection being treated. Do not apply this more often than prescribed. Your condition will not clear faster, but side effects may be increased.
Ringworm on the skin like athlete's foot (tinea pedis) and jock itch (tinea cruris) can usually be treated with non-prescription antifungal creams, lotions, or powders applied to the skin for 2 to 4 weeks. There are many non-prescription products available to treat ringworm, including: Clotrimazole (Lotrimin, Mycelex)
Because ringworm is highly contagious, you should wash your sheets daily to get rid of the infection faster. Fungal spores can transfer to your sheets and comforter.
Let it breathe. It may seem logical to keep ringworm covered with a bandage to prevent spreading the infection. However, bandaging the rash locks in moisture and slows the healing process. Instead, wear comfortable, breathable clothes to speed healing and avoid spreading the rash to other people.
Anyone can get ringworm. The fungi that cause this infection can live on skin, surfaces, and on household items such as clothing, towels, and bedding.
Keep the infected area clean and dry.
The fungus that causes ringworm thrives in warm, moist areas, so you want keep the area clean and dry. When cleaning the area with ringworm, wash the affected area(s) and dry it (them) with a clean towel.
The fungus can survive on contaminated objects for long periods of time, sometimes up to 18 months.
Heat (above 110°F) is also effective at killing ringworm spores. This means that clothing does not necessarily need to be washed with bleach, as long as it can be dried on high heat.
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). It is best to throw out any items that cannot be thoroughly disinfected.
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.
Over the Counter Antifungals
You can treat most cases of ringworm at home with over-the-counter antifungals. Popular choices include clotrimazole (Lotrimin) and tolnaftate topical (Tinactin). Healthcare companies market these products for athlete's foot, but they will also work on ringworm of the body and jock itch.
Always use lukewarm water. Avoid using very hot water. Hot water favors fungal growth in the body. Wash the affected parts with cold water once you are done taking a bath.
What are the symptoms? The rash caused by a ringworm infection is usually round or oval and has a raised border. It starts small and slowly grows larger. As it grows, the central part of the rash usually becomes clear.
A scaly ring-shaped area, typically on the buttocks, trunk, arms and legs. Itchiness. A clear or scaly area inside the ring, perhaps with a scattering of bumps whose color ranges from red on white skin to reddish, purplish, brown or gray on black and brown skin. Slightly raised, expanding rings.
After 48 hours of treatment, ringworm does not spread to others at all.
Can hand sanitiser kill ringworm? Yes but only when it's on the surface of your skin. Ringworm is a highly infectious fungus that affects animals and humans. Often a pet will bring ringworm into the home which will then need to be completely disinfected.
Terbinafine (Lamisil) comes in creams, sprays, and gels and can treat athlete's foot, jock itch, and other ringworm infections on the skin. The CDC says terbinafine seems to be the most effective treatment for tinea pedis. Possible side effects include: peeling.
If someone in your family has a fungal infection, there is no need for them to stay off work or school. However, treatment should be started as soon as possible. Good personal hygiene should also be followed to stop it spreading to other children.
Ringworm spreads through direct contact with infected skin or fungal spores. The spores can live on fabrics, including clothing, couch cushions, bedding, and other porous surfaces. They also thrive in damp environments, such as public showers and locker rooms.
From a person who has ringworm.
People can get ringworm after contact with someone who has the infection. To avoid spreading the infection, people with ringworm shouldn't share clothing, towels, combs, or other personal items with other people.
Because the fungi can live indefinitely on the skin, recurrences of ringworm are likely. Treatment may need to be repeated. If you have ringworm symptoms, see your healthcare provider for treatment recommendations. It is important to note that common home remedies do not effectively treat this condition.
The fungi that cause ringworm thrive in warm, moist areas. Poor hygiene and long-term wetness of the skin create a perfect environment and raise the risk for a fungal infection.
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 ...
Lemongrass oil or tea
Lemongrass oil extract, and to a slightly lesser extent lemongrass tea, both have antifungal properties that can be helpful in treating fungal skin infections like ringworm.