Does ringworm go away withou medication?

Question

My friend has ringworm and now she says her animals have it. I don't know if she's been to a doctor yet or taken her animal to the vet.
Does it go away by itself or is medication needed for her and her animal?
And is it possible for the animals to get it?

Answer 1

it is a parasite and it will jump from animals to people and back. no, it doesn't go away by itself, it just spreads.

Answer 2

People are speaking about this as if it were a medical emergency. It's really not. They are correct in saying it's not a worm or parasite, it's a fungus, also known as Tinea corporis. I do know it can go away on its own in people, b/c it did for my son when he was little.

I caution strongly against the use of Chlorox directly on the skin. Yes, people do do it, but it's not good for you and it can cause your skin to blister, peel and bleed. Some people are extremely allergic to it. I would advise you to go to the healthfood store and get a small bottle of tea tree oil. This stuff is an amazing antibiotic/healing agent for wounds of any kind. You can brush your teeth with it, too. It prevents and cures gingivitis and periodontal disease. It will also cure nail fungus.

B/c there does seem to be a lot of it in the household and it seems to be being passed back and forth from people to animals and back again, yes, it's a good idea to go both to the docs and the vets. This is more a hassle than life-threatening, however. It only truly becomes serious if the ringworm patches get infected from scratching or itching. Also w/out a doctor's diagnosis, are you SURE what you're dealing with here is ringworm and not scabies or mites?

Answer 3

Fast Ringworm Cure?

Answer 4

Your friend will need medication to clear the ringworm up, so will the animals. I'm not sure, as to weather the human ringworm can be passed to a animal and vice versa.

Answer 5

The above poster is incorrect.

Ringworm is indeed NOT a parasite of any type.

It is a fungus. Yes, it is quite contagious (can be passed from human to animal, and visa versa).

Apply an antifungal cream to get rid of it (e.g., tinactin). You can find them at your local pharmacy (over the counter). Most any antifungal cream will do. It will be in the section devoted to curing "jock itch" and "atheletes foot" - which are the same sort of fungi that cause ringworm.

Answer 6

Ringworm is a fungus and no it won't go away without meds. I had it about 3-4 years ago because my husband's youngest son would put his wet towels over the clean clothes and the fungus would incubate. It's a similar fungus, I believe, to the one that causes athlete's foot. And yes, animals can get it too. Her pets need to go to the vet and she needs to go to the doctor. They all need to be treated and she needs to find out how to prevent it.

Answer 7

Ringworm is not a worm at all. It's a skin diseases caused by several related fungi. One of my friends who work at the vet office told me that she used Clorox to watch it out.

Answer 8

Yes it's possible for animals to get it from humans and humans to get it from animals.

It will not go away by itself, it needs to be treated with medication. Tell her to get herself to a doctor and her pets to a veterinarian.

Answer 9

It just spreads. You treat it by applying a medicated cream. It's an easy fix. Encourage her to treat it so that it doesn't spread to others, or she could have a real mess.....

Answer 10

You must have medication to get rid of it, Your friend needs to go to the doctor and get her animals to the vet and if you've been hanging around your friend or handling her animals you better get checked you probably got it too, it is very contagious MUST BE STOPPED BEFORE IT SPREADS TO EVERYONE AND EVERY ANIMAL.

Answer 11

As it is a fungal infection it will just spread if it is not treated.
She needs to go to a pharmacist and get a special antihistamine cream which she will have to apply twice a day.