What to do if a child has ringworm on his head

Many children will have ringworm on their heads. Ringworm capitis is a disease caused by fungal infection. If a child has ringworm on his head, it will appear as yellow scabs or grayish-white scales, and may also cause hair to break. In severe cases, the patient's hair may almost fall out. So how to treat ringworm on children's scalp? As parents, we should not only understand the treatment methods of ringworm, but more importantly, we should know how to prevent ringworm.

1. The ringworm on the child's head may be scalp ringworm

Tinea capitis is a superficial fungal infection of the scalp and hair. It can be divided into three types: yellow ringworm, white ringworm and black dot ringworm according to the pathogens and clinical manifestations. It is common in children and is highly contagious, easily spreading among children in nurseries, kindergartens, primary schools and families. It is mainly transmitted through contaminated hairdressing tools, and can also be transmitted through contact with cats, dogs and other livestock suffering from ringworm.

2. What to do if a child has ringworm on his head

Medicinal bath treatment:

Medicinal bath is one of the methods of external treatment for internal diseases in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Medicinal bath therapy can directly apply drugs to the skin, orifices, acupoints, etc., and can quickly reach the diseased area to achieve good therapeutic effects. At the same time, medicinal bath therapy can prevent drugs from directly entering the human blood circulation, thereby reducing side effects on organs such as the liver and kidneys.

The principle of medicinal bath is to combine the temperature of water, the mechanical stimulation of water and the effect of medicine to exert therapeutic functions on the body. When hot medicinal liquid is used to fumigate the skin or affected area, the thermal stimulation causes the skin blood vessels to dilate, which can promote local and systemic blood and lymph circulation, stimulate metabolism, improve local tissue nutrition and systemic function, and dredge the meridians and promote their activity. The medicine can also stimulate the nerve endings receptors of the skin, form new reflexes through the nervous system, and thus destroy the original pathological reflex system, achieving the purpose of curing the disease.

Topical treatment:

(1) Topical antifungal herbal cream: Apply to the entire scalp.

(2) Washing your hair: Use 2% ketoconazole lotion or hot water soap to wash your hair once every night for 2 months.

(3) Shaving: All diseased hair should be cut off or burned as much as possible, once a week, for a total of 8 times.

Systemic treatment:

Griseofulvin is still the first choice and is the most sensitive to Microsporum. Adults: 0.6-0.8 g/d; children: 15-20 mg/(kg?d), taken in 3 divided doses after meals. The course of treatment is 3-4 weeks. During medication, eat more oily foods to promote drug absorption. At the same time, pay attention to liver function tests. If griseofulvin is used together with the Chinese medicine Artemisia capillaris, its efficacy can be improved and the dosage of griseofulvin can be reduced. And avoid using drugs that inhibit gastric acid secretion. Ketoconazole is most sensitive to Trichophyton tonsurans. The dosage for children is 5 mg/(kg?d), taken once, preferably during meals, and the course of treatment is 4 to 8 weeks. Itraconazole is taken with meals, 0.2 g/d for adults and 0.1 g/d for children, once a week for 4 to 6 weeks. Terbinafine 0.25g/d, children 0.125g/d, take for 4 to 8 weeks. Liver function tests should also be paid attention to during medication. In the acute phase of kerion, small doses of corticosteroids can also be used for a short period of time.

3. Prevention

Develop good hygiene habits, keep your skin clean and dry, and change clothes and wash bedding frequently.

Tinea capitis is a contagious disease, so direct contact with people suffering from tinea capitis should be avoided.

Do not use public slippers, bath towels, and foot basins provided in public places such as hotels and inns. Use disposable slippers, towels, and other sanitary ware as much as possible. Bedding provided for guests in public service places such as hotels and inns should be used by one person at a time to avoid infection and should be disinfected after use.

Families with the means can use sanitary ware and bedding individually, with one set for each person. If a family member is already ill, early isolation should be emphasized to avoid cross-infection among family members.

Public facilities that cannot be separated, such as bathtubs, should be disinfected before use.

Patients who have already suffered from various fungal diseases should receive timely treatment.

Avoid contact with animals with ringworm, especially cats, dogs, rabbits, etc.