Grassroots Science

The doctor is in

RE: Camai

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20 Comments

20 responses so far ↓

  • Jackie // 2007 October 22 at 11:54 am | Reply

    Can lysol in the brown bottle kill ringworms?

    I was told to use the lysol on my son’s hair line to kill ringworm, he has a ringworm on his neck. Can this product be used directly on your skin.

    Please reply.

    Thank you

    Jackie, let me check on that. Did your medical provider suggest this? If so, they should have told you the dilution. I’ll get back to you.
    Pam

  • Pam // 2007 October 22 at 2:38 pm | Reply

    Jackie– You won’t be able to use Lysol on ringworm.

    It doesn’t seem that the Lysol will be very effective against the ringworm used on the skin itself. The Lysol itself can be harmful.

    The best treatments attack the fungus systemically (through swallowed medication). There may be additional steps recommended by your doctor, such as certain shampoos or rinses.

    Diluted Lysol can certainly be used to disinfect combs and laundry. Regular soap and water for frequent handwashing will also slow the fungus from spreading.

    Ringworm is actually a fungus and there are different species of fungus which cause ringworm. It can be spread by sharing combs, napping together, or other close contact play among children. This means the fungus might be spread by incomplete treatment.

    Some children are too young for any contact with dilute Lysol. Your medical provider would know best, but the concentrate is entirely too dangerous for children to be exposed to.

    It makes sense that Lysol might be useful directly on the fungus. But the problem is the fungus is difficult to get all of it. A dilute Lysol solution wouldn’t help and a poultice or a stronger solution would do more harm than the fungus. Because there are several kinds of fungus (dermatophytes) involved, different medications are used and the whole family may have to be treated.

    I feel for your son. Please see your medical doctor for actual treatment.

    You might also check with your local public health office. Ringworm is evidently making a comeback in some regions. They may have other suggestions for sanitation or prevention of the disease spread, aside from the handwashing and no comb or hat sharing.

    Site Search Tags: Dettol, Lysol, fungus, hands

  • Jackie // 2007 October 23 at 3:51 am | Reply

    Thank you so much, you were very helpful.

    I had already taken my son to the doctor and the doctor did prescribe a pill and shampoo. A freind of mine told me to use the lysol. She said it was an old home remedy which came from Mississippi. I just tought I should check with someone to see if it was ok.

    Thanks again!

  • Pam // 2007 October 23 at 11:35 am | Reply

    You’re welcome.

    In the old old days, or even more recently, I bet that was about all that was available. I remember the schoolwide checkups we got in Mississippi with an ultra-violet lamp for ringworm. The neighborhood was also regularly fogged with a mixture of kerosene and DDT to protect against mosquitoes and things like malaria and encephalitis.

  • Pam // 2008 January 3 at 12:37 pm | Reply

    Kisha–
    CAN RINGWORM GET ONTO YOUR COUCHES AND IF SO, HOW CAN YOU GET RID OF THE FUNGUS ON YOUR COUCHES

  • Pam // 2008 January 3 at 12:56 pm | Reply

    Looks like I need to do a separate post about this.

    Short answer–Yes, ringworm can be transmitted between children if both play on the couch at the same time or maybe on the same day. But the environment of the couch itself is generally not very hospitable for fungus. Hats and bed linens are better at transmitting the fungus from one child to another (or from the child back to the child).

    Let me do some studying about “house keeping” and ringworm (tinea).

  • Pam // 2008 January 3 at 2:12 pm | Reply

    Kisha–
    Does this help? Ringworm questions

  • Kim Patrick // 2008 January 14 at 5:25 am | Reply

    We currently have 3 children with the ringworm fungus. Two have then in the hair and one on the jawline near the ear. I am trying to prevent any further breakout. Is there a particular solution we need to use on the headphones to keep this from spreading? We have Lysol and Clorox products available.
    Thanks- Kim Patrick

    See response here Ringworm questions

  • Lynne // 2008 January 19 at 8:37 am | Reply

    I know everyone should always wash their hands but my question is…at what age can you stop washing your hands before touching a baby when they enter a room? I was once told it was 2-3 months old, was that right? Thank you for any information. Lynne

    see Baby care handwashing
    Pam

  • Sandy // 2008 February 21 at 7:36 pm | Reply

    my sister that is 37 yrs old used a lysol spray /clorox in her hair to treat a scalp itch,now she has like a rash or reaction on her face and arms and back.Doctors have seen her for this condition but have no idea what it is.Could you please reccommend some place or one that she could see for a chemical reaction?

  • Pam // 2008 February 21 at 11:01 pm | Reply

    Sandy, the only thing I can think of is for your sister to check with a dermatologist. She may be reacting to the initial stimulus plus whatever she did as a treatment. Sometimes the body over-reacts, even if the original stimulus is long gone. Then a doctor can try to “dampen” the response while the body continues to heal or adjust. All of this would need to be separated out. It can be useful to get a second opinion. Good luck.

  • Ringworm questions « Grassroots Science // 2008 April 1 at 8:03 pm | Reply

    [...] Brown bottle Lysol and ringworm [...]

  • Sandy // 2008 July 6 at 10:13 pm | Reply

    my son has a problem with acid always causing him a burning sensation in his chest emergency visits are out of the question.Just to get in you have to pay 50.00,So are their any home remedies until I can get him to his own Doctor?

  • mpb // 2008 July 7 at 7:20 am | Reply

    This is something that really needs a medical professional to look at– you could help a lot by noting down whether he gets symptoms after eating, specific foods, is he active, other medications, heart health, etc.

    *The key is “always”.* In addition, the symptom is one that can point to a variety of causes, some very serious.

    Because of those two, I would urge you to find a doctor or nurse practitioner or physician assistant as soon as possible. If cost is a problem, look for a low income clinic or go through the school system or check with the state health department.

    Home remedies (which don’t mean less effective or less dangerous) may be useful but only after a diagnosis. Otherwise, they may cause more harm or using them may put off getting proper treatment.

  • Sandy // 2008 July 14 at 1:38 am | Reply

    Ok,thanks and I did take him to see his Doctor and found out he has acid reflux.He has been treated and now on a acid reducer.

  • mpb // 2008 July 14 at 8:06 am | Reply

    Sandy I’m glad to hear the good news.

    Acid reflux untreated can lead to irritation and even erosion of the esophagus or stomach. Constant use of anti-acids, commercial or homemade, can change the natural chemistry of the body.

    In the US, it’s very difficult to know whether to spend scarce money on medical help. But the kind of awareness that you had of when and what kind of symptoms occur is helpful to deciding.

  • mpb // 2008 October 18 at 12:05 pm | Reply

    Update from Worms and Germs, Ringworm Part 2: Cleaning Up

    see Ringworm questions

  • nadia // 2008 October 23 at 4:01 pm | Reply

    If the son with the acid reflux has about ten or more pounds of fat buildup on the abdomen, likeme, i’m guessing it may be a squeezed tummy. I have it too. Eat food with high folic acid content like not overheated peas.(to help the food that IS eaten be absorbed, to avoid continual hunger.

  • Shelly // 2008 November 24 at 6:36 pm | Reply

    my 19 year old son has back pain and he also has a few marks, off his back the lines go across the middle of his back.They look like somebody welped him.They are lite in color than his skin.I had good results with you before when my sister had used stuff in her hair so I will wait to hear back from you. Thank you

  • mpb // 2008 November 26 at 7:42 am | Reply

    Shelly, back pain in someone young without an obvious cause, like playing flag football or moving, is a concern. It may or may not be related to the skin reaction. (There might be two unrelated issues). My suggestion is to have your son write down when he has pain (time but also what was he doing when it occurred), when it first occurred, how long it lasts, is it located in one spot or spread out, etc. The same should be done for the back.

    If either condition continues for 2-3 days, gets worse, or re-occurs, then he does need to see a medical person, such as a public health nurse or school nurse if he doesn’t have his own doctor. Take the notes and take a list of whatever medicines he’s taking– over the counter, prescription, herbal or teas, vitamins, lotions, etc.– to the visit. The notes are very important because your son and the doctor need to analyze the patterns of what is occurring.

    I’m not a medical person and the symptoms are not very specific so they need an expert to look at them. Skin is one of those organs that react to almost any stressor, such as allergy, infection, or the first day or work or school. Skin may not even be the target of what is going but a symptom of something else. This is very useful but also confusing to a non-medical person.

    Good luck.

    Does anyone have a suggestion for a good list of notes to take before deciding to go to the doctor’s office? such as who, what, when, where, how often? I can link them here. I think Reader’s Digest has a well-regarded medical guide but I’ll have to look that up.

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