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Ringworm is a skin infection that has nothing to do with worms - the infection is caused by a parasitic fungus that feeds on keratin, a material that our hair, skin, and nails are made up of. The fungus is transferred through physical contact, sharing clothes and other such objects, and even places that tend to be constantly wet or damp, such as locker rooms and washrooms. Animals too are affected by ringworm, and contact with an infected animal can also give you the infection.
There is only one main symptom of ringworm - the round, raised, inflamed patch of skin. This inflammation is usually in the shape of a ring - the inflamed patch of skin tends to have clear, normal skin at its center. Sometimes however the entire patch may be raised and inflamed, or there may be several rings of inflamed skin, one inside the other.
The affected skin may sometimes also itch, but apart from this there are usually no other symptoms of ringworm.
The same fungus that causes ringworm can affect different parts of the body, and may cause different symptoms depending on where the infection has struck. For example, when the fungus infects the scalp, it usually causes hair loss and some amount of oozing and crusting too. When the fungus affects the feet, it rarely presents the typical inflamed rings of skin; instead, it affects the skin between the toes, where moisture tends to collect, which usually results in inflammation and scaling of the skin between the toes. The fungus also affects nails, particularly toe nails. In this infection, the toenails become yellowish and cloudy, and start to become loose or crumble altogether. However, these infections are usually not described as ringworm, which is why these symptoms cannot really be called symptoms of ringworm. Only tinea corporis, the fungal infection of the skin of the body, is known as ringworm. When the same fungus affects the scalp it is known as tinea capitis; when it affects the beard it is known as tinea barbae; when it affects the foot it is known as tinea pedis, when it affects the toes, it is known as onychomycosis or tinea unguium.
It is not clear why you are asking about the symptoms of ringworm. If you think you may have an infection but are not sure what it is, you should simply visit a doctor. Ringworm is not really a serious infection, but it should still be detected and treated as early as possible.
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