Medical X-Press – Colleen Moriarty
Just reading the words “contagious skin diseases” can make you feel itchy all over. Pools, locker rooms, contact sports and pets all offer opportunities for your kids to catch “icky” skin conditions—such as warts, ringworm and impetigo—you’d rather they didn’t bring home. Although usually harmless, these skin diseases can be uncomfortable, and can also trigger feelings of self-consciousness. “Kids are embarrassed about warts on their hands or face, not wanting to be teased at school,” says Yale Medicine dermatologist Christopher G. Bunick, MD, Ph.D. “Similarly, the thought of a fungal infection on the skin, like with ringworm, makes many parents shudder with uneasiness. And they’re genuinely scared about the spread of any bacterial skin infection like impetigo.” (more)