Difference Between Ringworm and Psoriasis

The skin on the body is one of the very vital organs. It protects the fragile nerves from the dangerous and toxic components of the outer world.

Generally, skin is capable to heal itself but some diseases require more attention. Ringworm and Psoriasis are two such diseases that deliver a lot of damage to the skin.

Ringworm vs Psoriasis

The difference between Ringworm and Psoriasis is that Ringworm is caused by dermatophytes fungus while Psoriasis is caused by the rapid production of new skin cells to replace the dead skin cells. The blisters of ringworm and psoriasis might indeed look alike but there is an apparent difference between both of them.

Ringworm is known as a very contagious fungal infection. When a person gets ringworm disease, many round red spots can be seen on his skin.

Ringworm usually occurs on the feet or head of the person. It can spread by touching infected objects or animals. A person with Ringworm should avoid skin-to-skin contact to avoid spreading the infection.

In the condition of Psoriasis, red round patches occur on the skin. It is caused by the body cells building up that results in causing various itchy Red blisters.

Psoriasis is known to belong to the immune system of a person. The worst thing about Psoriasis is that it can last for years to an entire lifespan.

Comparison Table

Parameters Of Comparison	Ringworm	Psoriasis
Cause	A fungus biologically known as dermatophytes and tends to eat keratin is responsible for Ringworm disease.	Many doctors believe that the main cause of psoriasis on the skin is either the immune system or genetics.
Affected areas	Ringworm generally affects the hands or scalp of the person. It can also develop in the nails making them crack.	Psoriasis is generally in the joints of the person such as knees and elbows. It never develops in the nails.
Shape	The shape of the rash caused by the ringworm is circular with a clear border that resembles a worm.	The shape of the rash caused by Psoriasis is round and it is irregular.
Contagiousness	Ringworm is a contagious disease that spreads rapidly by physical touching or being in contact with infected skin.	Psoriasis is not a contagious disease. Hence, it does not spread rapidly by physical touch.
Rash feeling	The patches caused by ringworm are very itchy and they can sometimes even feel like burning on the skin.	The patches caused by Psoriasis are not very itchy but they are painful and can even cause symptoms of fever.

What is Ringworm?

Ringworm is a disease that happens on the skin. It is a type of dermatitis. Another word used for Ringworm is dermatophytosis, tinea, dermatophyte infection, etc.

Various Red spots can be seen on the skin of a person with Ringworm. It starts to appear as a mere patch but soon it develops into a blister.

If it happens in the nail of a person, the nails begin to crack and get discolored as well. If the head is on the radar of this disease then the hair around the blister starts to fall off.

It spreads very quickly, although, it can be self-healed. But in the worst cases, Ringworm requires proper medical help to treat.

The name ‘Ringworm’ is considered to be a misnomer since the infection is not caused by any worm but by a fungus. It is called Ringworm because the wound or rash caused by infection takes after the worms.

Both humans and animals can suffer from Ringworm disease. Mainly it affects the areas like nails, feet, groin, scalp, beard, etc.

A person can adapt to doing various things to avoid getting Ringworm. For example, wash bedsheets at a certain time, wear clean clothes, dry wet areas in the house, etc.

Also, if a person is diagnosed with Ringworm, he should wear loose and light clothes. Some experts suggest putting Apple cider vinegar or Coconut oil on the affected area.

What is Psoriasis?

Dermatologists refer the Psoriasis disease as a protracted autoimmune condition. It is known to cause scaling on the surface of a person’s skin.

In the condition of Psoriasis, the body cells build up very rapidly in specific areas. These scales on the skin can have redness and inflammation which is very common. The patches caused by Psoriasis are thick and silvery-white in color.

In some cases, these patches crack and this process results in bleeding. The psoriatic scales mostly affect the areas around joints such as elbows and knees. The other parts of the body that can be infected by Psoriasis are the feet, neck, hands, face, etc.

The Psoriasis disease has been divided mainly into five types and these types are Pustular psoriasis, Guttate psoriasis, Inverse psoriasis, Plaque psoriasis, and Erythrodermic psoriasis.

Unlike ringworm, psoriasis is not contagious. It does not travel by skin-to-skin contact. Doctors have never been certain about the main reason that causes Psoriasis.

It is usually connected to the immune system and genetics. It generally happens when the white blood cells attack the skin cells by fault when fighting other infections.

Hence, to replace the dead skin cells, the production of new skin cells gets rapid. Due to this fast production, dead skin cells don’t get enough to fall off and they get mixed with new skin cells, and a pile of cells forms on the surface of the skin.

This pile of cells develops into blisters known as Psoriasis.

Main Differences Between Ringworm and Psoriasis

1. The patches caused by ringworms do not change frequently while patches of psoriasis can be red and then grow into grey color being cranky.
2. The patches in ringworm can shift from one area to another. On the other hand, patches in psoriasis grow thicker in one area.
3. The blisters caused by ringworm are very itchy compared to psoriasis while psoriatic patches aren’t that itchy but can become so intense that the person gets a fever.
4. Ringworm is a contagious disease that spreads by physical contact. On the other hand, Psoriasis is not a contagious disease.
5. The major cause of ringworm disease is a fungal infection while the main reason that causes Psoriasis is genetics and the immune system.

References

1. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11046-008-9101-8.pdf
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/019096229591336X