Ringworm is not contagious
JOHN has struggled with ringworm on his body for 17 years. The 30-year-old carpenter said his grandmother gave him herbs to get rid of the pale patches, but these reduced the infection only for a while.
By Elvina Nawaguna
JOHN has struggled with ringworm on his body for 17 years. The 30-year-old carpenter said his grandmother gave him herbs to get rid of the pale patches, but these reduced the infection only for a while.
He has spent the last several years battling his embarrassing condition with all kinds of remedies including brake fluid, herbs, skin ointments and tablets. The ringworm would only go for a while only to return shortly after.
ringworm is painless, but very embarrassing. Nobody wanted to touch John’s clothes or lend him. At work, people noticed the patches on his face and neck and some would whisper something about poor hygiene.
Many avoided him because ringworm is believed to be contagious. But Dr. Fred Kambugu, a skin specialist at Mulago hospital, says: “ringworm is not contagious.†Kambugu also works at Wandegeya Skin Clinic. “It is a fungal infection. This fungal infection is a normal resident on human skin, which means everybody is capable of developing it,†he says.
“When the infection overgrows, it manifests as ringworm. You do not get ringworm by sharing clothes or beddings, as is the myth,†he adds.
According to Kambugu, people who have relatively oily and moist skins and live under high humidity and moisture conditions are more likely to exhibit ringworm.
He says it is also likely to occur among people who regularly wear occlusive clothes and those who work outdoors like in workshops. People who habitually apply oily substances like petroleum jelly also predispose themselves to ringworm.
The condition is also common among teenagers and young adults. At that age, the child’s body is developing and the skin tends to be more oily and moist. Kambugu says as people grow older, the body develops a degree of immunity.
“Beyond a certain stage, the body expels or reduces the condition spontaneously,†he says. Because of the social stigma that is associated with ringworm infections, it is important to get it treated as soon as you notice the light patches on the skin. Because of the myth that ringworm are caused by poor hygiene and that it is contagious, one may suffer rejection and stigma among peers, especially in places like boarding schools.
“ringworm has no relation to personal hygiene. That is another myth,†Kambugu stresses.
So how do you avoid ringworm?
Kambugu says one should avoid the predisposition factors.
If you already have them, there is a variety of treatment on the market that can be bought across the counter at a local pharmacy.
Kambugu says the commonest ones are simple applications like sulphur and clotrimazole creams. A pharmacist should be in position to advise on the options.
Kambugu advises that if the condition persists, one should see a doctor because there is a tendency for some people who are genetically predisposed to be more prone to these attacks. Such cases do not fare well on treatment.
Tablets may be given because they are more effective for difficult cases.
JOHN has struggled with ringworm on his body for 17 years. The 30-year-old carpenter said his grandmother gave him herbs to get rid of the pale patches, but these reduced the infection only for a while.
He has spent the last several years battling his embarrassing condition with all kinds of remedies including brake fluid, herbs, skin ointments and tablets. The ringworm would only go for a while only to return shortly after.
ringworm is painless, but very embarrassing. Nobody wanted to touch John’s clothes or lend him. At work, people noticed the patches on his face and neck and some would whisper something about poor hygiene.
Many avoided him because ringworm is believed to be contagious. But Dr. Fred Kambugu, a skin specialist at Mulago hospital, says: “ringworm is not contagious.†Kambugu also works at Wandegeya Skin Clinic. “It is a fungal infection. This fungal infection is a normal resident on human skin, which means everybody is capable of developing it,†he says.
“When the infection overgrows, it manifests as ringworm. You do not get ringworm by sharing clothes or beddings, as is the myth,†he adds.
According to Kambugu, people who have relatively oily and moist skins and live under high humidity and moisture conditions are more likely to exhibit ringworm.
He says it is also likely to occur among people who regularly wear occlusive clothes and those who work outdoors like in workshops. People who habitually apply oily substances like petroleum jelly also predispose themselves to ringworm.
The condition is also common among teenagers and young adults. At that age, the child’s body is developing and the skin tends to be more oily and moist. Kambugu says as people grow older, the body develops a degree of immunity.
“Beyond a certain stage, the body expels or reduces the condition spontaneously,†he says. Because of the social stigma that is associated with ringworm infections, it is important to get it treated as soon as you notice the light patches on the skin. Because of the myth that ringworm are caused by poor hygiene and that it is contagious, one may suffer rejection and stigma among peers, especially in places like boarding schools.
“ringworm has no relation to personal hygiene. That is another myth,†Kambugu stresses.
So how do you avoid ringworm?
Kambugu says one should avoid the predisposition factors.
If you already have them, there is a variety of treatment on the market that can be bought across the counter at a local pharmacy.
Kambugu says the commonest ones are simple applications like sulphur and clotrimazole creams. A pharmacist should be in position to advise on the options.
Kambugu advises that if the condition persists, one should see a doctor because there is a tendency for some people who are genetically predisposed to be more prone to these attacks. Such cases do not fare well on treatment.
Tablets may be given because they are more effective for difficult cases.