23/08/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 24/08/2024 01:06
Key takeaways:
Ringworm is a contagious fungal infection. It's red, flaky, and usually round in shape. Eczema is a chronic itchy skin rash that can also be round.
People often confuse eczema and ringworm due to their similar appearance. A healthcare professional can help you tell the difference between them and suggest appropriate treatment.
Antifungal treatments can easily treat ringworm and clear the infection. Eczema is an ongoing skin condition that often needs long-term treatments.
Chances are you've heard of ringworm. It's a circular skin rash that can happen in people of all ages, but it's usually seen in children. Eczema is another common skin rash. Because it can also be round, people often mistake eczema for ringworm.
Ringworm and eczema have some things in common, and that can make it difficult to tell them apart. Both ringworm and eczema can be red, itchy, and flaky. And they can both last on the skin for weeks or months. But there are some key features of each condition that make them unique.
Let's take a closer look at how you can tell the difference between ringworm and eczema, and how to treat them.
Eczema vs. psoriasis: Learn how to tell the difference between these two common conditions (with pictures).
Over-the-counter ringworm treatment: Read about popular antifungal creams that you can get without a prescription.
Do you have athlete's foot? Find out how to identify and treat this common fungal infection of the foot (with pictures).
One main difference between ringworm and eczema is whether they can be cured or not. You can cure ringworm, but there's no cure for eczema. Once you treat ringworm, the rash goes away. But eczema is a chronic condition. This means that it often needs long-term treatment to manage the symptoms.
Let's review other key differences between ringworm and eczema below.
The other main difference is the cause of each rash. Ringworm is a rash caused by tinea - a type of fungus that lives on the skin.
Eczema is not an infection - it's a chronic rash. Eczema usually stems from a faulty skin barrier. This allows the skin to get dry and irritated more easily, which can lead to eczema. Eczema can have many triggers, including stress, temperature, and exposure to allergens.
Ringworm can happen anywhere on the body, including the nails and scalp. There are many different kinds of tinea infections based on where you have the rash. They include:
Tinea corporis (ringworm on the body)
Tinea capitis (scalp ringworm)
Tinea cruris (jock itch)
Tinea pedis (athlete's foot)
Eczema usually happens on the folds of the skin. This commonly includes places like:
The neck
Behind the knees
Inside the elbows
The hands
The wrists
Ringworm is usually round or curved in shape. The name describes the raised, round shape that the ringworm rash usually takes. It often shows up as one or more small patches on the skin.
Eczema, on the other hand, can take many shapes or be widespread. An eczema rash can be round, but it doesn't have to be.
Here are some pictures of ringworm and eczema to help you tell the difference between the two conditions.
Ringworm and eczema have some similarities in their appearance. But there are a few key things that can help tell them apart, like the rash's location and shape.
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The fungus that causes ringworm can be spread by touch. The infection can pass from person to person and animal to person. In rare cases, it can pass from object to person. The most common way to get a ringworm infection is from touching another person or animal with it.
Certain factors can increase your risk of getting a ringworm infection. These include:
Warm climate: Fungus is more common in warmer climates. If you live somewhere tropical, your risk of ringworm is higher.
Close-contact activities: Sports with heavy contact, like wrestling or jiu jitsu, increase your risk of ringworm.
Heavy sweating: Fungus tends to thrive in warm, moist areas. Moisture from sweat increases your risk of ringworm.
Animal contact: Having close contact with animals, like with pet ownership, may increase your risk of ringworm.
Diabetes: If you have diabetes, you're at a higher risk of fungal infections like ringworm.
Antifungal medications can easily treat ringworm. Antifungal creams (like clotrimazole and miconazole) can usually treat small ringworm infections. These creams are often available over the counter (OTC). Antifungal creams are safe to use long term and can help prevent fungal infections in people who are at higher risk.
However, OTC antifungal creams won't always help. You may need to see a healthcare professional if your ringworm rash:
Covers a large section of skin
Has not improved with OTC creams
Is located on the scalp
These cases often need treatment with oral antifungal medications. There are many options - terbinafine is a common one.
Antifungal pills are very effective, but they have some risks. For people who have liver disease, these pills can put stress on the liver. For healthy people, this is usually not a real risk. In fact, recent data shows that regular lab monitoring of liver function isn't necessary for healthy people taking antifungal medications.
Ringworm on the scalp can be harder to treat, since creams don't penetrate well through hair. And it can also lead to hair loss, so don't delay in seeking medical care for a scalp rash. Treatment for ringworm on the scalp often uses oral antifungal pills right from the start.
There are many treatment options for eczema. These include medications, at-home treatments, and in-office treatments with a healthcare professional. The specific treatment depends on how severe your symptoms are.
Anti-inflammatory creams can treat most mild cases of eczema. Anti-inflammatory pills and injections can treat serious cases of eczema. Common medications that treat eczema include:
Corticosteroid pills, like prednisone
Steroid creams, like triamcinolone
Nonsteroidal creams, like pimecrolimus and tacrolimus
Antibiotic creams, like mupirocin
Oral immunosuppressants, like methotrexate, cyclosporine, or Rinvoq (upadacitinib)
Immunosuppressant injections, like Dupixent (dupilumab)
There are also treatments that you can do at home to improve symptoms of eczema. These include:
Moisturizers: Daily moisturization can help soothe skin and decrease eczema flare-ups.
Wet dressings: Layering skin with ointment and a wet layer of bandages can help lock in moisture.
Relaxation: Using techniques to relax can decrease itchiness. Laughter can help reduce stress in children with eczema.
Sometimes in-office procedures can be helpful in treating eczema. Ultraviolet light treatment (phototherapy) reduces the inflammation caused by eczema. It's best for those with moderate to severe eczema who haven't responded to other treatments.
A healthcare professional can diagnose most cases of ringworm and eczema with a physical exam. But sometimes it can be hard to tell them apart just by looking at them. Certain tests can help make the right diagnosis.
A skin scraping test looks at skin flakes under a microscope to see if there's fungus. For a skin biopsy, a dermatologist cuts a very small piece of the skin and examines it for fungus. Eczema and ringworm look very different on a skin scraping or biopsy, making them the most certain way to tell them apart.
Overall, ringworm and eczema aren't serious or life-threatening. Ringworm will go away with treatment. But there may be some temporary skin changes. In some cases, the skin can become discolored where the rash was. If the ringworm is on the scalp, you may notice some hair loss where the rash used to be.
Eczema is a chronic condition. So, it may last a long time, or disappear and come back. Itching can be intense. In severe cases, it may affect quality of life. Excessive scratching can also lead to frequent infections. Sometimes these infections can be serious, including those with MRSA bacteria.
If you have rashes that last more than 2 weeks and don't get better, you should see a healthcare professional. Ringworm and eczema rashes can look the same, but the treatments are different. So it's important to know which one you have.
In fact, OTC treatments that can improve eczema - such as steroid creams - will actually make ringworm worse. This can sometimes be a clue that you have ringworm and not eczema. So, if you're concerned about ringworm or eczema, it's best to have an evaluation to get the right diagnosis.
Ringworm is contagious, but eczema isn't. If you have ringworm, it's important to get the right diagnosis so you can treat it and keep it from spreading.
Yes, eczema can be genetic, but it isn't always. It's common for eczema to run in families. That means you're more likely to have it if someone in your family has it.
Yes, both ringworm and eczema can look like psoriasis. However, this isn't very common. Your dermatologist may need to do a small skin biopsy to get the right diagnosis.
Mild ringworm can sometimes go away by itself, but it's uncommon. If ringworm isn't treated, it's more likely to spread to other parts of your body. That's why it's best to treat ringworm early.
Sometimes, rashes other than eczema can look like ringworm. Examples include pityriasis rosea, psoriasis, and contact dermatitis. If you're not sure if you have ringworm, your dermatologist can help you get the right diagnosis.
Sometimes it can be hard to spot the differences between ringworm and eczema. Ringworm is a curable infection, but eczema is a chronic skin condition that needs ongoing treatment. If you have a rash for more than 2 weeks, it's a good idea to get help from a healthcare professional. They can make sure you have the right diagnosis and suggest the proper treatment plan for you.
Images used with permission from VisualDx (www.visualdx.com).
American Academy of Dermatology Association. (n.d.). Ringworm: Who gets and causes.
American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. (n.d.). Biopsy.
Kim, S., et al. (2018). The effects of a humor intervention on the physiological, physical, and psychological responses of school-aged children with atopic dermatitis in South Korea: A pilot study. Journal of Pediatric Nursing.
Lewis-Jones, S. (2006). Quality of life and childhood atopic dermatitis: The misery of living with childhood eczema. International Journal of Clinical Practice.
MedlinePlus. (2020). Skin biopsy.
MedlinePlus. (2023). Skin lesion KOH exam.
National Eczema Association. (n.d.). Prescription phototherapy.
Stolmeier, D. A., et al. (2018). Utility of laboratory test result monitoring in patients taking oral terbinafine or griseofulvin for dermatophyte infections. JAMA Dermatology.
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