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Conditions›Skin conditions›Skin infection›Fungal skin infection›Ringworm (tinea)

Ringworm (tinea)

A highly contagious, fungal infection of the skin or scalp.

Dr. Geoffrey Rutledgereviewed this

Internal Medicine 39 years experience

Is a type of:Fungal skin infection

How long it usually lasts:

Short-term (lasts days to weeks)

How common is it?

Very common

Very common	Extremely rare	Very rare	Rare	Common	Very common
Baby0-2					Very common
Preteen6-13					Very common
Teenager14-18					Very common
Young adult19-40					Very common
Middle-aged adult41-60					Very common

Body locations

Skin

Symptoms

Increased sweating

Itching or burning

Genital itching

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Medications

Ratings show how effective doctors think these medications are at treating Ringworm (tinea)

Tests

Risk factors

Personal

Taking corticosteroid medication

Tight fitting clothes

Contact with infected animals

Related questions

A 46-year-old member asked:

What to do if I have "black-dot ringworm"/tinea capitis?

1 doctor answer1 doctor weighed in

A 24-year-old male asked:

Will my hair grow back after ringworm tinea capitis ?

2 doctor answers4 doctors weighed in

A 31-year-old member asked:

What causes jock itch/athletes foot/ringworm/tinea?

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A 28-year-old male asked:

Ringworm tinea infection on left hand. Have had for 3 months. used OTC topical ointments and it keeps coming back or never goes away completely?

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A female asked:

I have ringworm & tinea versicolor. In addition to using scrip Nizoral (ketoconazole 2%) as a body wash, can I apply Lotrimin on affected area after?

1 doctor answer2 doctors weighed in

A 36-year-old member asked:

Can handling or eating mushrooms give you fungus infections like ringworm or tinea?

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A 22-year-old female asked:

Is Tinea/ringworm on back of neck contagious?? My husband has it and I apply his anti-fungal cream.... How can I protect myself?

1 doctor answer1 doctor weighed in

A 41-year-old female asked:

Can you use terbinafine hydrochloride to treat a ringworm of the body (tinea corporis) and if so how many times a day should you apply the cream?

1 doctor answer2 doctors weighed in

A 22-year-old male asked:

What are some over-the-counter treatments for tinea capitis (ringworm of scalp)?

1 doctor answer1 doctor weighed in

A 29-year-old male asked:

Is tinea the fungus that causes ringworm a mold or yeast?

1 doctor answer4 doctors weighed in

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