Tinea Capitis-Causes, Symptoms and Prevention
Tinea capitis is a hair scalp disease caused when the scalp is affected by a fungal infection. The infection is superficial in nature. This only means that it affects the skin and not the organs beyond it.
It affects the skin at places where the body has hair especially the eyebrows, eyelashes and the scalp. The skin condition is characterized by attack of fungi on the hair follicles and hair shafts. Tinea capitis develops as a condition with superficial mycosis or dermatophytosis. The frequency of occurrence of Tinea capitis is increasing rapidly not just in the United States but also in many other parts of the world.
If a person is suffering from Tinea capitis, it is the fungi called Dermatophytes which develop like molds especially, if the scalp is exposed to too much of warmth and moisture. The disease develops as a result of these fungi. Children are found to get affected by Tinea capitis mostly but they are seen to vanish with the onset of puberty. But the disease can affect a person irrespective of the age.
The Dermatophytes thrive in areas of the body which are constantly characterized by sweat and long period of other kinds of wetness. People who have suffered from small scalp or skin injuries run a higher risk of developing Tinea capitis. Poor hygiene is also a contributing factor towards the condition.
The worst part about a hair scalp disease caused by fungi is that it is contagious. This means that if you use towels or other objects used by the affected person, you too are susceptible to the disease. Sometimes if a person has Tinea Capitis in the house you may end up using their hat, clothes or comb. If you have a pet at home that has got infected by the disease, then too other members of the family are at risk.
Various symptoms of any hair scalp disease such as Tinea Capitis are balding, itching, sores, scales, swelling and black marks on the scalp. In severe cases, the sores may be filled with pus. In order to confirm that the symptoms are that of Tinea Capitis, a few tests are required to be done. There are two tests to correctly diagnose the disease viz. Skin lesion biopsy and Wood's lamp test. Treatments include oral medications to kill the fungi. Itraconazole, Griseofulvin and terbinafine are some of the medicines recommended by the doctors. You can also use a medicated shampoo which contains selenium sulfide. This shampoo helps control the spreading of infection.
In order to prevent Tinea Capitis from happening, it is necessary to keep your scalp clean. If you are aware that certain areas of your body has hair and sweats more, you should maintain its hygiene more. This is requires to be done even after the person has been treated from the infection. That’s because, if proper hygiene is not maintained, the infection can occur again.
