Ringworm
Dermatophytosis (Latin name)By Bjarne Lühr Hansen PhD, MD and Philipp Skafte-Holm MD, Mentor Institute
Ringworm is an infection in the skin caused by fungi. Ringworm, usually, does not bother a child. The illness is contagious. One or two ringworms can be treated with a fungicide that can be bought over the counter. In the case of a lot of ringworm the child should be examined by a doctor and treated with tablets.
Ringworm is a common fungal infection. Many children will – at one time or another – experience a ring-shaped rash on the skin. The far most common cause of such a rash is a fungal infection. However, it is important to know that a tick bite can develop into a ring-shaped rash.
A child can become infected with fungi from animals or from people. Three different kinds of fungi can cause ringworm. Two of the fungi use man as a host, which means that the fungus lives on and are transferred from human to the child. The third fungus uses animals as a host, which means that the fungus lives on and is transferred from animal to child.
The ringworm starts as a little spot only a few millimetres wide. It spreads and becomes centimetre-wide round spots with a red and scaly edge. Sometimes the centre of the spots clears up and seems pale next to the red edge; it looks like a ‘fairy ring’ like the ones that appear on a lawn. There may appear multiple ringworms next to each other that grow into each other forming patterns resembling the symbol of the Olympics.
Ringworm, usually, does not bother a child, although light itching may arise.