Is It Okay to Swim with Ringworm? Ringworm is a rash caused by a fungal infection. It's very contagious and can be passed on by direct contact and indirect contact such as touching an infected person's clothing or being in a swimming pool with someone who is infected.
Any child with ringworm should not participate in gym, swimming, and other close contact activities that are likely to expose others until 72 hours after treatment has begun or until the lesions can be completely covered.
The spores of this fungus can be killed with common disinfectants like diluted chlorine bleach (1/4 c per gallon water), benzalkonium chloride, or strong detergents. Never mix cleaning products.
Theoretically, direct skin-to-skin contact in water or a swimming pool or hot tub may spread the infection but is far less likely to do so than direct skin-to-skin contact elsewhere. In addition, it is possible to become infected from infected animals that have ringworm.
EXCLUSION Childcare or School: Until treatment has been started. Any child with ringworm should not participate in gym, swimming, and other close contact activities that are likely to expose others if the lesions cannot be fully covered or until 72 hours after treatment has begun.
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.
After 48 hours of treatment, ringworm does not spread to others at all.
Touching or scratching the area with ringworm and then touching another area can spread ringworm from one part of your body to another. Washing your hands well can help prevent this. Keep the infected area clean and dry.
How long is it contagious after you start treatment? According to the Seattle Children's Hospital, ringworm stops being contagious after 48 hours of treatment. While undergoing treatment, a person can cover the lesion to help prevent it from coming into contact with other people or objects in the environment.
Should children or others be excluded from day care, school, work or other activities if they have ringworm? No. However, they should be excluded from certain activities that are likely to expose others to the fungus, such as using communal swimming pools or showers, sharing towels, sharing gym equipment or wrestling.
Take a shower or bath every day (especially after playing sports and sweating) and dry off completely. Wear clean clothing. Change your clothes every day. Use clean towels and don't share towels or clothes.
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.
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 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.
Do not cover the ringworm with a bandage. Wash and dry your hands well.
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.
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.
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.
It starts small and slowly grows larger. As it grows, the central part of the rash usually becomes clear.
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.
If you have impetigo, cellulitis, chickenpox or exanthemata, you should avoid going swimming until your skin has recovered.
Ringworm is a highly contagious infection that's usually spread through person-to-person contact or by sharing combs, towels, hats, or pillows. Ringworm is most common in children, but can infect a person of any age.
Stress: Stress can be a common psychological symptom of ringworm, either inspired by the visibility of your infection or the itchiness that is often associated with it.
Ringworm is a common infection of the skin and nails that is caused by fungus. The infection is called “ringworm” because it can cause an itchy, red, circular rash. Ringworm is also called “tinea” or “dermatophytosis.” The different types of ringworm are usually named for the location of the infection on the body.