What are the early symptoms of ringworm?

Tinea corporis is a fungal skin infection. The early symptoms of this disease are the appearance of small blisters or red papules. The contagious rate of tinea corporis is very high. Patients must take good care of themselves, keep their clothes clean, and wash their underwear separately.

1. Common symptoms

Since the bacteria generally only parasitize on the stratum corneum after invading the epidermis, they only cause mild inflammatory reactions locally, initially appearing as red papules or small blisters, followed by the formation of scales, and then gradually expanding to the surrounding areas into clearly-bounded annular lesions. Papules and blisters are often seen at the edges, and there is generally no exudate on the surface. The edges are active and continue to expand, while the center tends to subside. Therefore, it is called tinea roundus or ringworm. Some annular lesions may also contain annular papules, blisters, and scales, followed by concentric annular lesions, accompanied by varying degrees of itching.

The skin lesions vary depending on the pathogens. The course of tinea corporis caused by Trichophyton rubrum is often prolonged and widespread, and is more common on the waist, abdomen, buttocks and trunk. It may be itchy, and pigmentation often remains after healing. The tinea corporis caused by Trichophyton mentagrophytes often invades the cheeks and exposed parts of the limbs, and is annular or irregular in shape, with more significant local inflammation and obvious itching. It may be complicated by bacterial infection. The tinea corporis caused by Epidermophyton floccosum is more common on the waist and buttocks, with irregular shape, mild local inflammation, thin and less scales, and no obvious itching. The tinea corporis caused by Microsporum canis and Microsporum gypseum is more common on the face, neck and upper limbs, and is often complicated by tinea capitis. It may be caused by the patient scratching the scalp or combing the hair and spreading the bacteria to the above parts, causing infection. The tinea corporis caused by Trichophyton rubrum is often smaller in range (usually no larger than a 5-cent coin), often with multiple, often light red papules, and then expanding to the surrounding area into a round shape, with more papules on the edges and small blisters.

2. Prevention of tinea corporis

1. Actively cure tinea of ​​the hands, feet, nails, and cruris. Children should pay more attention to the prevention and treatment of tinea capitis and avoid contact with cats, dogs and other animals. Affected livestock should also be actively treated. For chronic generalized adult tinea corporis, a full-body system examination should be performed to rule out immune and endocrine system diseases.

2. Keep your clothes clean. Patients with tinea corporis should pay attention to changing and washing their underwear and quilts frequently, and pay attention to maintaining private hygiene.

3. When treating tinea corporis, you should also treat tinea cruris, tinea pedis or tinea manuum at the same time to prevent repeated infection.

4. Try to keep your body dry, wear loose and close-fitting underwear, and try to reduce sweating. Reduce sweating and promote evaporation at the base of the thigh.

5. Keep yourself clean, do not have sexual relations with others casually, and do not use other people's underwear, underwear and toiletries casually.