Does my son have ringworm?
by Sarah
My son is three years old. Three months ago he got two mosquito bites on his leg while he was outside playing. He itched and itched until they broke open. They then scabbed over and then healed. But what was left behind was two scars that look like ringworm. The problem is actually no problem at all...they do NOT itch, me and my other two children do NOT have any similar marks. BUT...in the past two weeks they look as if they have gotten slightly bigger. They do look like ringworm. But knowing ringworm is extremely contagious and they itch immensely, I am unsure as to what it could be. Any suggestions? Dear Sarah, Although ringworm can be very itchy as you suggested, I don't necessarily believe that it is ALWAYS itchy. That doesn't mean I think that your son has ringworm. He may or may not, I'm just saying don't completely rule it out because his spot isn't causing him itchiness. Because you already know that the condition started as mosquito bites and that he was scratching them excessively, it may have caused a bacterial infection. Have you ruled out that possibility? Ringworm is, of course, a fungal infection. If you are leaning more toward the ringworm diagnosis, try applying either some over the counter fungal cream or one of the anti-fungal essential oils, like tea tree, oregano, or garlic. If you have any coriander oil, that's particularly effective against bacterial infections if you think that is more likely a diagnosis. If you end up deciding it is simply a scar from the mosquito bite scratching, apply some vitamin E oil to the area. Whichever method you decide to try, you will need to repeat the application a few times per day until the spot is completely healed. I hope one of these suggestions may be of help. Let us know if your son's mark clears up, and what did the trick. Kind regards, Angie |
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