Ringworm is a very common skin disease, and may even be one of the most well-known skin diseases, so I think we should not be unfamiliar with it, especially in southern provinces and cities. However, I am afraid that not many people can tell you what kind of disease ringworm is. Today, I’d like to talk to you about ringworm. Perhaps there will be listeners do not think, think “ringworm” is a minor problem, like the street small ads, although unsightly, but it does not matter, get some ointment to apply a coating can be done, there is nothing to say. In fact, although the “scabies disease” as the antonym of the “heart” is often disdained, but when you really got the “ringworm” disease, I’m afraid not to think so The most important thing to remember is that the skin is white and clean. Imagine having a piece of ringworm on your white, clean skin, how can you not get tired of it? This is not to mention the fact that if someone is dressed up in a suit and goes to a formal event and doesn’t want to get ringworm in the middle of it, the itch is unbearable and you can’t scratch it, wouldn’t that be embarrassing? Or a beautiful white collar lady, elegant and talented, but a handful of gray nails show up, is not the image immediately greatly reduced? The most important thing is that ringworm can also recur and sometimes infect family members and induce other diseases such as dermatitis, the taste of which only those who suffer from it can really appreciate. Therefore, it is necessary for us to know more about ringworm. First of all, let’s clarify what ringworm is. Ringworm as we know it is a disease of the skin, hair, or finger (toe) nails caused by superficial fungi such as Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton flocculentum, and Trichophyton purpureum, such as ringworm of the head, ringworm of the body, ringworm of the femur, ringworm of the hands and feet, ringworm of the flowers, and ringworm of the nails. This type of disease is mainly caused by direct contact with patients, ringworm-afflicted livestock such as dogs and cats, or indirect contact with clothing contaminated by patients; it can also occur from self-infection (first suffering from ringworm of the hands, feet, nails, etc.); people who have been using glucocorticoids for a long time or have diabetes or chronic wasting diseases are also prone to ringworm. Of course, a warm climate, humid environment, and frequent exposure to alkaline detergents are more conducive to the development of this disease. In general, the disease tends to flare up or worsen in the summer, and lessen or subside in the winter. Tinea capitis occurs naturally on the scalp and hair and is common in children, but there are several types. The most common type is ringworm, which is called white baldness in Chinese medicine because it is characterized by the initial appearance of ring-shaped red patches on the scalp, followed by small patches with grayish-white scales and an itching sensation. The hair on the affected area of the scalp is dry, lusterless and easily broken. Fortunately, the disease clears up naturally at puberty, and the hair can grow back without leaving scars. In contrast, ringworm is much more annoying and can last for more than a decade or even a lifetime, but after years of prevention and treatment, it is no longer common. At the same time, ringworm, a special type of ringworm of the head, is on the rise, caused mostly by pro-animal or soil fungi, and many people now have these fungi on their precious pets, which may be one reason for its increase. It starts as a folliculitis-like papule that can gradually swell to the size of a walnut with small holes on it, which can flow pus under squeezing and can leave scarring. Tinea capitis is more common in adults, and there is no significant difference in the proportion of men and women, fully reflecting gender equality. Tinea corporis is also called goose palm wind in Chinese medicine. Initially, the skin is peeling, blistering and itchy, and often the blisters break and get better, but new herpes develop around them. Tinea pedis, commonly known as athlete’s foot, has a high incidence because of the hot and humid climate there. The main symptoms are blisters on the toes or soles of the feet, white skin due to humidity, and itching. Later on, peeling, dryness and roughness may appear, and in winter, cracking may occur. Tinea corporis is a fungal infection on smooth skin other than the scalp, hair, palmoplantar, and nail plate. Tinea corporis usually occurs on the skin of the face, neck, waist, abdomen, buttocks and extremities, etc. The clinical manifestations are erythema, papules or blisters that gradually spread from the center to the periphery at equal distances, forming a ring or multiple rings. The central inflammation decreases with desquamation or hyperpigmentation, that is, the affected central part has a tendency to heal itself and becomes annular over time. The edge of the ring is slightly higher than the adjacent normal skin, where the inflammation is more pronounced, with small papules, blisters or scales adhering to it. Patients often feel itchy, and if the disease is prolonged, frequent scratching can cause local eczema-like changes or secondary bacterial infections. Tinea corporis can occur unilaterally or bilaterally, and the basic damage is the same as tinea corporis, but because the site is warm and moist and prone to friction, it often appears as an erythema with clear borders and marked inflammation on the lower side. If the disease is prolonged, the lesions may lose their typical appearance, or scratching may cause thickening of the infiltrate and moss-like changes. If the fungus invades the finger (toe) nail, the nail plate will lose its luster, thicken or atrophy over time, and become gray or dirty yellow, which is then called nail fungus, and is often called “gray finger (toe) nail”. There is an advertisement saying: “If you have gray nails, one infects two”. The disease usually starts with 1-2 fingernails, but in severe cases, all fingernails can be affected. It can cause nail deformation and discoloration, which can seriously affect the appearance of the nail, making it difficult for people who love beauty to interact with others and make them “shrink”. Typically, ringworm is not difficult to diagnose based on the typical appearance of the lesions. However, ringworm is often misdiagnosed as another skin disease, which can lead to unnecessary or even incorrect treatment. Tinea corporis often needs to be distinguished from ringworm, chronic eczema, neurodermatitis, pityriasis rosea, and lupus erythematosus; and ringworm should be distinguished from scrotal eczema and erythema rubra. If you apply glucocorticoid-containing creams for topical treatment without a clear diagnosis, the results may be good at first, with the skin inflammation rapidly subsiding and the itching significantly reduced, but after a period of time, the lesions will rapidly expand and the edges of the damage will no longer be clear, so even a dermatologist can easily misdiagnose the disease, and at this time it is necessary to take the scales from the edges of the damage for direct fungal microscopy to make a clear diagnosis, and sometimes repeated examinations are required Sometimes repeated tests or fungal cultures are needed to make a diagnosis. Therefore, if you have ringworm, the first thing you should think about is going to the hospital to see a doctor and getting the medicine you need to eat and apply. Generally, for milder cases, topical medications such as terbinafine cream, miconazole cream or ketoconazole cream can be used to achieve the goal. It is important to note that the medication should be continued for 2 weeks after the lesions have subsided to avoid recurrence. For those with extensive lesions or poor results with topical medications alone, especially if the nail fungus is difficult to absorb with topical medications, some antifungal medications with few side effects, such as itraconazole, fluconazole, and terbinafine, can be taken internally under the guidance of a doctor. However, for us in general, prevention before the disease is the best choice. First, actively exercise to strengthen their own resistance. There is a famous saying in traditional Chinese medicine: If the righteousness exists within, the evil cannot dry up. It is important to know that ringworm tends to strike at people with low immunity. Second, pay absolute attention to personal hygiene, wash yourself clean and try to keep some specific areas such as between the toes and perineum dry, that is, disease prevention and comfort, why not? Once again, ringworm is mostly contagious, so avoid public places with substandard hygiene such as bathhouses, hair salons, and hotels, and don’t share household items with people suffering from ringworm, such as combs, hats, and pillowcases for people with ringworm, footbaths, bath towels, and footwear for people with ringworm, and intimate clothing and bedding for people with ringworm. I would like to teach you a little knowledge that most fungi die within a short time at 100 degrees, so boiling is a convenient, economical and efficient way to disinfect.