Ringworm Treatment: Causes of Ringworm

As noted in my Overview post, ringworm is caused by mold-like fungi, known as "dermatophytes" that live off the dead layer of keratin protein on top of the skin. Medicine.net, one of the most respected medical sites in the internet, points out in its article about ringworm that these microorganisms "rarely invade deeper into the body and cannot live on mucous membranes, such as those in the mouth or vagina."

What are the causes of ringworm?

The Medicine.net article also noted that "some fungi live only on human skin, hair, or nails. Others live on animals and only visit humans sometimes. Still others live in the soil. It is often difficult or impossible to identify the source of a particular person's skin fungus." Ringworm occurs when these parasites grow and multiply rapidly and cause infection anywhere in your skin, scalp, or nails.

The fungi that cause ringworm grow and thrive in warm, moist areas, and areas of frequent sweating such as skin folds as those in the groin or between the toes. This, the article explains, "accounts for their reputation as being caught from showers, locker rooms, and swimming pools. This reputation is exaggerated, though, since many people with 'jock itch' or 'athlete's foot' are neither jocks nor athletes."