The National Institutes of Health characterize ringworm as a fungal infection. When it affects the scalp, it's known as tinea capitis. Ringworm of the body is often called tinea corporis. Regardless of the form, it's caused by a highly contagious mold-like fungus. Although anyone can suffer from this condition, it's most common in children. Luckily, treatment can frequently take place in the comfort of your own home.
Tinea Capitis
If you're suffering from ringworm of the scalp, treatment typically involves an oral medication. Griseofulvin is the most effective, but you can also successfully treat tinea capitis with terbinafine hydrochloride, according to the National Institutes of Health. Griseofulvin is administered in either pill or liquid form. Terbinafine hydrochloride is available in granules that are mixed into your food. Both medications are taken each day for approximately six weeks.
Other Treatments
As you treat tinea capitis, you may also benefit from the use of a shampoo containing selenium sulfide. Selenium sulfide can help prevent the ringworm from spreading further into the scalp and even the body by killing the spores produced by the pathogen, explains the Mayo Clinic.
Tinea Corporis
With ringworm of the body, especially in mild infections, a topical lotion can often kill the fungus, notes the National Institutes of Health. Antifungal lotions containing the active ingredients of tolnaftate, miconazole, clotrimazole or terbinafine work particularly well on tinea corporis. For best results, apply any one of these products to the skin at least once a day for a period of two weeks to get rid of the infection. However, these topical lotions do nothing to improve ringworm of the scalp, so do not apply these agents to this area of the body.
Other Treatments
If tinea corporis fails to improve with these topical lotions, a prescription medication is often necessary, warns the Mayo Clinic. Prescription medications for this form of ringworm are administered either topically or orally. Topical lotions contain higher concentrations of miconazole and terbinafine or butenafine, ciclopirox, econazole or oxiconazole. Oral medications include terbinafine as well as fluconazole, ketoconazole or itraconazole.
Household
Besides treating the individual, it's also important to prevent passing the pathogen from one person to the next. This means that hats, scarves, towels, combs, clothing and bedding shouldn't be shared with an infected individual, cautions the Mayo Clinic. Regular washing or cleaning of these items can help minimize transmitting ringworm from one person to another.
