Ringworm may affect many parts of your body but mostly affects the nails, feet or the scalp. You should get it treated as soon as you are surely able to detect that you are infected. Now if you want to get it treated at an early stage you must be aware of the symptoms of ring worm. Though ringworm is accompanied by a very itchy body part the surest way to identify ringworm is the red ring that protrudes out of the infected body part.
Ringworm is not caused by any worm. The causative agent in this case is fungi. Cause of ringworm is fungi attack. Different species of fungi may cause ringworm. The most common fungus that attacks your body is the dermatophyte. Among dermatophytes fungi the kinds that your body is most prone to attack from are the Microsporum and Trichophyton.
Fungi generally grow in acidic moist areas. So treatment of ringworm starts from not allowing suitable conditions for fungus to grow. You generally are infected by ringworm if you are sharing some kind of contact with someone who is infected. It may also be your pet or any other stray animal. You should avoid sharing clothes and even if you share be sure to wash them with fungicidal soap. If you are going to a beach make sure that you are not walking barefoot as wet areas are conducive to fungus growth. Take a long bath after you come back from the beach in case you were exposed to some fungus.
Even after the precautions if you get affected by the fungi then there are some easy ways to cure ringworm. Curing ringworm entails killing of the fungi and stopping it from recurring. To ensure this you may apply antifungal creams, take pills or opt for natural treatment for ringworm. Pills are taken if your condition has deteriorated beyond a certain limit and you need some urgent attention. It should not take more than two weeks for the ringworm to heal. It may vary depending on how badly you were affected. However if there is no visible improvement after two weeks then you should better consult a doctor.