how do you get ringworm?

Answer 1

I never wanted it.

Answer 2

How are Ringworms Transmitted?

Ringworms can be transmitted from animals (dogs and cats) to humans and from humans to humans by direct contact with an infected person or animal. Ringworm can also be spread through contact with articles (such as combs or clothing) or surfaces which have been contaminated with the fungus.

How long do Ringworms Last?

If untreated, these infections can linger on and become chronic.

How long will I be Infectious?

You will be infectious (able to transmit it to another person) as long as the fungus remains present in the skin lesion. The fungus is no longer present when the lesion starts to shrink.

How to Prevent developing a Ringworms?

It is difficult to take specific measures to prevent contact with the fungi that causes ringworms because the fungi are common. However, if you know someone has a ringworm, do not have physical contact with them or share their chlothes.

How are ringworms treated?

Your doctor may treat a ringworm by prescribing a fungicidal material to swallow as tablets or powders that can be applied directly to the affected areas.

When to Call Your Doctor?

If you have redness and itching of the skin and you can see a patchy lesion, call your doctor.

Answer 3

Ringworm is a contagious fungus infection that can affect the scalp, the body, the feet (athlete's foot), or the nails.

People can get Ringworm from: 1) direct skin-to-skin contact with an infected person or pet, 2) indirect contact with an object or surface that an infected person or pet has touched, or 3) rarely, by contact with soil.
Ringworm can be treated with fungus-killing medicine.
To prevent Ringworm, 1) make sure all infected persons and pets get appropriate treatment, 2) avoid contact with infected persons and pets, 3) do not share personal items, and 4) keep common-use areas clean.


What is Ringworm?

Ringworm is a contagious fungus infection that can affect the scalp, the body (particularly the groin), the feet, and the nails. Despite its name, it has nothing to do with worms. The name comes from the characteristic red ring that can appear on an infected person's skin. Ringworm is also called Tinea.



What is the infectious agent that causes Ringworm?

Ringworm is caused by several different fungus organisms that all belong to a group called "Dermatophytes." Different Dermatophytes affect different parts of the body and cause the various types of Ringworm:

Ringworm of the scalp
Ringworm of the body
Ringworm of the foot (athlete's foot)
Ringworm of the nails


Where is Ringworm found?

Ringworm is widespread around the world and in the United States. The fungus that causes scalp Ringworm lives in humans and animals. The fungus that causes Ringworm of the body lives in humans, animals, and soil. The fungi that cause Ringworm of the foot and Ringworm of the nails live only in humans.



How do people get Ringworm?

Ringworm is spread by either direct or indirect contact. People can get Ringworm by direct skin-to-skin contact with an infected person or pet. People can also get Ringworm indirectly by contact with objects or surfaces that an infected person or pet has touched, such as hats, combs, brushes, bed linens, stuffed animals, telephones, gym mats, and shower stalls. In rare cases Ringworm can be spread by contact with soil.



What are the signs and symptoms of Ringworm?

Ringworm of the scalp usually begins as a small pimple that becomes larger, leaving scaly patches of temporary baldness. Infected hairs become brittle and break off easily. Yellowish crusty areas sometimes develop.

Ringworm of the body shows up as a flat, round patch anywhere on the skin except for the scalp and feet. The groin is a common area of infection (groin Ringworm). As the rash gradually expands, its center clears to produce a ring. More than one patch might appear, and the patches can overlap. The area is sometimes itchy.

Ringworm of the foot is also called athlete's foot. It appears as a scaling or cracking of the skin, especially between the toes.

Ringworm of the nails causes the affected nails to become thicker, discolored, and brittle, or to become chalky and disintegrate.

Answer 4

It's a contagious fungal infection. When my family were children, we lived in the country and close to our home was a field of sheep. One of my sons used to like going to this field and often leaned on the gate with his tummy bared where his t-shirt was always becoming separted from his shorts. Consequently, his bare skin used to rub against the gate, where the sheep (at least one of whom must have had ringworm) had rubbed before him, and from this exposure he developed a ringworm on his abdomen. Started like a little spot, which grew larger whilst developing a depression in the middle, until it was a actually a circle. It was treated by medication prescribed by the doctor and disappeared with no problem, never to return! (And his brothers didn't touch it, or use the same bath towel, so they didn't catch it).

Answer 5

Hi It is possible to get ringworm from cats.

Answer 6

Normally from dirty water in third world countries. It can aslo be caught from one person to another- for example using a flannel of someon who is infected. Can become trouble some if not treated. I have seen cases where people have caught ringworm in the head and have lost their hair- leaving a big ball patch.

This is easily treated- Wheatfield Ointmnet from the chemist can be bought it you can't be bothered to go to your gp.

Answer 7

You can get ringworm from the dirt and all of the above comments as well.

Answer 8

Ringworm is common in poorer countries. It comes from drinking dirty, tainted water.

Answer 9

I did a search for you. Here are three articles that I found for you

http://www.articlemap.com/Article/Ringworm---Symptoms-And-Treatment/21556

http://www.articlemap.com/Article/Ringworm--A-Non-Crawling-Fungus-That-Can-Spread-Over-The-Entire-Body/7956

http://www.articlemap.com/Article/Ringworm--Fungus-Or-Real-Worm-Under-My-Skin/6538

Hope they will be useful to you.

Answer 10

close contact with a person cat or animal that has it, my daughter got it when she stroked a stray cat, an ointment prescribed soon cleared it but its quite contagious

Answer 11

Contact. the dog fungus is a common one. Microsporum canis