Diseases & Conditions

Ringworm (body)

The signs and symptoms of ringworm include:

• A circular rash on your skin that's red and inflamed around the edge and healthy looking in the middle
• Slightly raised expanding rings of red, scaly skin on your trunk or face
• A round, flat patch of itchy skin

More than one patch of ringworm may appear on your skin, and patches or red rings of rash may overlap. You can have tinea infection without having the common red ring of ringworm.

When to see a doctor
See your doctor if you have a rash on your skin that doesn't improve within two weeks. You may need prescription medication. If excessive redness, swelling, drainage or fever occurs, see your doctor immediately.

Your doctor will determine if you have ringworm or another skin disorder, such as psoriasis or atopic dermatitis. He or she asks you about possible exposure to contaminated areas or contact with people or animals with ringworm.

Your doctor may take skin scrapings or samples from the infected area and look at them under a microscope. If a sample shows fungus, treatment may include an antifungal medication. If the test is negative but your doctor still suspects that you have ringworm, a sample may be sent to the laboratory for testing. This test is known as a culture. Your doctor may also order a culture if your condition doesn't respond to treatment.

A fungal infection rarely spreads below the surface of the skin to cause serious illness. However, people with weak immune systems, such as those with HIV/AIDS, may find it difficult to get rid of the infection.

If ringworm of the body covers a large area, is severe or doesn't respond to over-the-counter medicine, you may need a prescription-strength topical medication (lotion, cream or ointment) or an oral medication (pill, capsule or tablet). Many options are available, including:

Topical

• Butenafine (Mentax)
• Ciclopirox (Loprox)
• Econazole
• Miconazole (Monistat-Derm)
• Oxiconazole (Oxistat)
• Terbinafine (Lamisil)

Oral

• Itraconazole (Sporanox)
• Fluconazole (Diflucan)
• Ketoconazole (Nizoral)
• Terbinafine (Lamisil)

Side effects from oral medications include gastrointestinal upset, rash and abnormal liver functioning. Taking other medications, such as antacid therapies for ulcer disease or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), may interfere with the absorption of these drugs taken for ringworm. Oral medications for ringworm may alter the effectiveness of warfarin, an anticoagulant drug that decreases the clotting ability of your blood.

For a mild case of ringworm, you can apply an over-the-counter antifungal lotion, cream or ointment. Most fungal infections respond well to these topical agents, which include:

• Clotrimazole (Lotrimin AF, Mycelex)
• Miconazole (Micatin)
• Terbinafine (Lamisil)
• Tolnaftate (Tinactin)

Wash and dry the affected area. Then, apply a thin layer of the topical agent once or twice a day for at least two weeks, or according to package directions. If you don't see an improvement after four weeks, see your doctor.