Medication
See your doctor. If you have attempted to treat your ringworm for two to four weeks without success, medical treatment with a prescription anti-fungal cream or an oral anti-fungal medication is necessary. Apply prescription anti-fungal cream to your ringworm rash as your doctor directs.
Self-care
There’s no set time limit for a ringworm infection. Without treatment, it may go away on its own in a matter of months in a healthy person. Or it may not. Ringworm on the body is usually treated with a topical ointment such as terbinafine.
Nutrition
The ringworm may fail to clear if you stop taking it sooner than prescribed. This can make it more difficult to get rid of the ringworm. Clearing scalp ringworm also often requires using an antifungal shampoo. In fact, everyone with whom the infected person lives needs to use an antifungal shampoo.
What should I do if I can't get rid of ringworm?
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:
How long does ringworm last without treatment?
What happens if I stop taking my ringworm medicine?
What is the best non-prescription treatment for ringworm?
Can ringworm be resistant to treatment?
Resistance can also develop over time when fungi are exposed to antifungal drugs. This resistance can occur when antifungal drugs are used improperly to treat sick people (e.g., when dosages are too low, or when treatment courses are not long enough), or even when antifungal drugs are used properly.
What if ringworm treatment doesn't work?
Take a prescription antifungal See a doctor if the rash doesn't go away after two weeks of home treatment. A ringworm infection that doesn't improve or that spreads may require a prescription-strength topical cream or oral antifungal medication. Make an appointment with your primary care doctor or see a dermatologist.
Can ringworm become resistant to antifungal cream?
However, healthcare providers in India report that they have been seeing more cases of very severe ringworm in people who have used these combination medications, probably because the fungus causing these infections is resistant to the antifungal medication.
What happens when antifungal cream doesn't work?
If one class of antifungal drugs doesn't help, your healthcare provider may try a medicine from a different class. There's a limited number of effective antifungal treatments. If an infection doesn't respond to antifungals, your provider may try different medicines.
What happens if fungal infection doesn't go away?
If you have severe symptoms or OTC medication doesn't clear up your infection, you may need a prescription medication. Your healthcare provider may also recommend taking antifungal medications regularly if you get frequent yeast infections.
What do you do if clotrimazole doesn't work?
There are other antifungal medicines that are similar to clotrimazole, including:econazole (cream)miconazole (cream, spray powder, powder)ketoconazole (cream)terbinafine (cream, gel, spray, solution)griseofulvin (spray)
How do you treat a resistant fungal infection?
Patients with Candida infections that are resistant to both fluconazole and echinocandin drugs have very few treatment options. The primary treatment option is amphotericin B, a drug that can be toxic for patients who are already very sick.
Why are fungal infections so difficult to treat?
Even in healthy people, fungal infections can be difficult to treat because antifungal drugs are challenging to develop, and like bacteria, some fungi are adept at developing resistance to current antifungal agents.
What is the strongest antibiotic for fungal infection?
Fluconazole has a broad spectrum of activity that includes both dermatophytes and yeasts. The drug is particularly effective in the treatment of mucosal and cutaneous forms of candidiasis. It is currently the drug of choice for controlling oropharyngeal candidiasis in AIDS patients.
Can you use too much Lotrimin?
An overdose of Lotrimin AF Cream is not expected to be dangerous. Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222 if anyone has accidentally swallowed the medication.
How long can ringworm last?
How Long Does Ringworm Last? Most mild cases of ringworm usually clear up in 2 to 4 weeks. But treatment might be needed for up to 3 months if the infection is more serious, or affects the nails or the scalp.
Does ringworm get worse before it gets better?
With the correct treatment, ringworm usually goes away within 2 to 4 weeks. People with low immunity or debilitating conditions may develop severe infections due to ringworm. To prevent the infection from getting worse, they may need more aggressive treatment.
How long does it take for ringworm to clear?
A mild case usually clears in two weeks. If the athlete’s foot is more severe or fails to clear in two weeks, a dermatologist can prescribe stronger medicine. Jock itch: To treat this type of ringworm, your dermatologist may recommend an antifungal cream, spray, or powder that you can buy without a prescription.
How to treat ringworm in beard?
Beard: Ringworm in the beard area requires prescription antifungal medicine and a tailor-made treatment plan. Your dermatologist may need to remove unhealthy tissue to help the area heal. You’ll also need to shave the infected hair.
How to get rid of ringworm on fingernails?
If the ringworm has spread to a fingernail, you will need to take an antifungal medicine to get rid of the infection. Nails: You need prescription medicine to clear ringworm from the nails. Because nails grow slowly, ringworm will take time to clear.
What is the best medicine for scalp ringworm?
Children who have scalp ringworm often receive a medicine called griseofulvin. Your dermatologist may prescribe the tablets, capsules, or liquid. Sometimes, another prescription medicine is prescribed. It is important to take an antifungal medicine exactly as prescribed, and for as long as prescribed.
How do you know if you have ringworm?
How do dermatologists diagnose ringworm? A dermatologist can often tell if you have ringworm by looking at the infected area. Your dermatologist may also examine other areas of your body. It’s common to have athlete’s foot and ringworm on one or both hands. Sometimes, the infection spreads to one or more nails.
How to treat jock itch?
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. When washing the infected area or applying a cool compress, be sure to use a clean washcloth every time and use it only on the jock itch.
Can ringworm be treated at home?
Ringworm can survive on objects for a long time. If the jock itch fails to clear with at-home treatment, be sure to tell your dermatologist. You may need stronger medicine. Scalp: On the scalp, ringworm requires prescription medicine. Children who have scalp ringworm often receive a medicine called griseofulvin.
What is the best treatment for ringworm?
Talk to your doctor about oral anti-fungal medications. These prescription medicines are reserved for fungal infections that have been resistant to other treatments.
How to prevent ringworm?
To reduce your risk of future ringworm infections, keep your skin clean and dry, wash your hair often, avoid sharing clothes and other personal items, wear shoes in public places and avoid touching animals with bald patches.
How to prevent ringworm in athletes foot?
Tips. To reduce your risk of future ringworm infections, keep your skin clean and dry, wash your hair often, avoid sharing clothes and other personal items, wear shoes in public places and avoid touching animals with bald patches.
How long does it take to get rid of ringworm?
See your doctor. If you have attempted to treat your ringworm for two to four weeks without success, medical treatment with a prescription anti-fungal cream or an oral anti-fungal medication is necessary.
What are the symptoms of ringworm?
Watch for signs of a secondary bacterial infection, such as redness, swelling, warmth, discharge or fever, when you have ringworm. See your doctor if you suspect an infection; you may need to be treated with antibiotics.
Can ringworm go away?
How to Treat Ringworm That Won't Go Away. Ringworm is a contagious infection that develops after tinea, a common fungus, begins to grow on your body. You can acquire tinea from an infected person or animal, and also if your skin is exposed to damp contaminated surfaces.
What is antifungal resistance?
Antifungal resistance occurs when fungi no longer respond to antifungal drugs. Only three types of antifungal drugs currently exist, so antifungal resistance can severely limit treatment options. Some types of fungi, like Candida auris, can become resistant to all three drug types. 1 Resistance is especially concerning for patients ...
Which fungus is resistant to antifungal drugs?
Fungi that have shown resistance to antifungal drugs are Aspergillus and certain Candida species. Candida auris is a new species that is particularly resistant to antifungal drugs and can spread in healthcare settings. Learn more:
What role does everyone play in preventing fungal infections?
Everyone—from CDC researchers and laboratorians to healthcare professionals to the general public—has a role to play in preventing fungal infections and reducing antifungal resistance.
How do antifungal drugs treat fungal infections?
Antifungal drugs treat fungal infections by killing or stopping the growth of dangerous fungi in the body. Fungi, like bacteria, can develop antibiotic resistance, when germs like bacteria and fungi develop the ability to defeat the drugs designed to kill them. Antifungal resistance occurs when fungi no longer respond to antifungal drugs.
Can antibiotics help with Candida?
For example, antibiotics can reduce good and bad germs in the gut, which creates favorable conditions for Candida growth. 4 It is not known if decreasing the use of all or certain antibiotics can reduce Candida infections, but appropriate use of antibiotics and antifungal drugs is one of the most important factors in fighting drug resistance.
Does fluconazole work against mold?
For example, the drug fluconazole does not work against infections caused by the fungus Aspergillus, a type of mold. Resistance can also develop over time when fungi are exposed to antifungal drugs. This resistance can occur when antifungal drugs are used improperly to treat sick people (e.g., when dosages are too low, ...
How to diagnose ringworm?
A doctor often diagnoses ringworm just by looking at a patient's skin 1. If a doctor wants to be certain, she can use a black light to examine the skin. The fungus that causes ringworm appears blue under a black light 1. Doctors also can take a skin scraping and examine the cells under a microscope.
What is ringworm on feet?
Ringworm is a common skin infection caused by a fungus 1. Ringworm can infect skin anywhere on the body 1. When it develops in the groin area, it is often called jock itch. The type found on feet is called athlete's foot. Infected people often have ringworm in more than one spot, according to the National Institutes of Health 1.
How is ringworm transmitted?
Ringworm is extremely contagious 1. It can be transmitted by skin-to-skin contact and via contaminated items, such as clothing, sheets and the surfaces in a shower. If a person does not treat ringworm, she could infect other people, even after they have sought treatment for their own infections 1.
Is ringworm dangerous?
This fungal infection is not dangerous and can be easily treated at home. However, if it is left untreated, ringworm can spread and lead to potentially serious health problems 1.
Can ringworm cause bald patches?
Ringworm can cause bald patches on a person's scalp 1. If ringworm is left untreated, the itchy rash can spread, and the skin will become even more irritated and cracked, according to New York University's Langone Medical Center 1.
What is the best treatment for ringworm?
Common treatments to speed up healing. The standard treatment for ringworm is a topical antifungal preparation, such as terbanifine (Lamisil AT). In more serious cases, your doctor may prescribe an oral antifungal, such as terbanafine, itraconazole (Sporanox, Orungal), or fluconazole (Diflucan, Celozole).
How to prevent ringworm?
Maintaining good general hygiene is the best prevention against ringworm. Ringworm often spreads from your feet or groin area, so preventing athlete’s foot and jock itch can be a first line of defense.
How long does it take for ringworm to show up on fur?
They can still transfer the ringworm to you. M. canis, the common cause of ringworm in pets, can be seen under an ultraviolet light (black light). Under an ultraviolet light, it may appear on the fur within seven days of exposure. But it takes two to four weeks for the symptoms to show up on the animal’s skin.
How long do fungal spores live?
Spores can live for as long as 12 to 20 months in the right environment .
Can you stop being contagious with antifungal medication?
You don’t stop being contagious when you start using antifungal medication. However, once you start treatment, if you cover the lesions you can significantly decrease the risk of spreading them to others. The condition is contagious until all the spores are eliminated from your skin.
Can you catch ringworm from a pet?
You can also catch ringworm from an infected pet, though this is less common. But the species of fungi that causes ringworm in pets is different from those common among humans. These fungi may sometimes be transferred to a person in close contact with the pet, but the ringworm is not as likely to spread from that person to another.
Can cats carry ringworm?
Cats and dogs can both carry it, but cats are considered the most important hosts. It’s also regularly found on horses and rabbits. Long-haired breeds such as Persian cats and Yorkshire terriers are reported to be more susceptible. Both humans and animals can be carriers without showing symptoms of ringworm infection.
What to do if ringworm doesn't clear?
If treatment fails to clear the rash, tell your dermatologist. Virtually every case of ringworm can be successfully treated. Keep all follow-up appointments with your dermatologist. Ringworm often clears with the first treatment a dermatologist prescribes.
What is the best treatment for ringworm?
When treating a ringworm infection, it’s important to use an anti-fungal medicine. To get the best results and prevent the infection from spreading to other areas of your body, dermatologists recommend the following:
How to prevent ringworm?
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. The fungus that causes ringworm thrives in warm, moist areas, so you want keep the area clean and dry.
How long should you treat ringworm?
By treating ringworm for as long as recommended, you help ensure that the ringworm does not re-appear a few weeks after you stop treating it.
Can dogs catch ringworm?
It’s possible to catch ringworm from an animal. Dogs, cats, and other animals can pass ringworm to humans. Just as there are effective treatments for people, there are effective ringworm treatments for pets. If your pet is diagnosed with ringworm, you’ll want to take some preventive measures for a few weeks.
Can you get ringworm on your hands?
Treat all ringworm at the same time. If you have athlete’s foot and ringworm on your hands, it’s important to treat both your feet and hands. If you treat only one area, you’ll still have a ringworm infection. The infection can quickly spread to other areas again.#N#Because ringworm is very contagious, you can also spread ringworm to other people.
Can ringworm spread to other people?
The infection can quickly spread to other areas again. Because ringworm is very contagious, you can also spread ringworm to other people. Change your clothes, including underwear and socks, every day. Wash the clothes before wearing them again. This includes clothes you wear to work out.
How to get rid of ringworm?
Wipe it out: Keep using the cream morning and night for a month to fully wipe out the fungus and prevent it from making a repeat performance, he says. “Using the creams consistently is the key.”. Most often, an OTC treatment works well to clear up ringworm.
How to avoid red ring?
These strategies can help you avoid those telltale red rings (or prevent them from spreading from one part of your body to another): Wash up: After touching the rash, wash your hands before you touch another part of your body. (Or somebody else’s body. Your friends will thank you.)
How to get rid of tinea on dogs?
(Go ahead and crank up the water temp — you want to scorch those fungi.) Check Spot: Have a vet check your dog for fungal infections since they can spread tinea to people.
Is tinea a fungus?
Ringworm, or tinea, is not a creature but an infection caused by fungus,” says dermatologist Alok Vij, MD. Here’s how to spot this common fungal infection — and how to wipe it out.
Is ringworm creepy?
The sound of ringworm is enough to make your skin crawl. Thankfully it’s not nearly as creepy (or as crawly) as it sounds. There aren’t even any worms involved. (Cue sigh of relief.)
