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Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Ringworm Home Remedies

Thursday, January 29, 2009 9:17 AM
Name: SHELLY
Country_of_Remedy: USA
Ingredients: CLEAR NAIL POLISH AND NAIL POLISH REMOVER
Instructions: I HAD GOTTEN RINGWORM AND I SWEAR THAT IS THE HARDEST THING TO GET RID OF, I CAME ON THIS SITE TO GET
ANY KIND OF SUGGESTIONS. I DID USE BLEACH AT FIRST BUT I THINK I ONLY KILLED HALF OF IT AND IT CAME BACK.
BUT I SAW WHERE SOMEONE SAID TO PUT NAIL POLISH ON IT. I DID THAT, I PUT THE CLEAR NAIL POLISH
ON THE RINGWORM, LEFT IT ON THERE THE WHOLE DAY. COME NIGHT TIME, I TOOK NAIL POLISH REMOVER AND REMOVED
THE NAIL POLISH, THEN I SOAKED THE PAPER TOWEL WITH ALOT OF NAIL POLISH REMOVER AND JUST APPLIED IT TO
THE RINGWORM FOR A FEW MINUTES. I CONTINUED THE SAME THING UNTIL IT WAS ALL CLEARED UP. I WOULD
OF NEVER GUESSED TO PUT NAIL POLISH ON IT BUT IT REALLY WORKS. I AM THANKFUL FOR FINDING THIS WEBSITE.
HOPE THIS WORKS FOR ANYONE WHO READS IT.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

I've had ringworm a few times in my life, and the only thing I've found to work is the bleach....the only thing people on here have failed to mention whatever cure you try NEVER NEVER rub the area(s) that will only bust the blisters which causes the ringworm to spread. Pat the area or hold ointments and such over the area. Whatever you do Do Not rub anything over the area!! I work in a daycare so ringworms are a common issue. I have one that is on my scalp so I'm not gonna use the bleach, but I am hoping the vinger cure will work. I'll let you know.

Friday, January 9, 2009 6:17 PM
Name: Lea
Country_of_Remedy: USA
Ingredients: SALT AND VINEGAR, this is ALL you need!
Instructions: Take vinegar and salt,form a paste and leave it on about 5 min then wash off...GONE IN A WEEK!

Wednesday, July 30, 2008 10:46 AM
Country_of_Remedy: USA
Ingredients: Bath salts
Grapefruit Seed Extract
Olive Leaf Extract
Instructions: Using a combination of 2 of these ingredients works wonderfully. Use bath salts that contain natural sea salts directly on the skin. Using tape (or a bandaid) to hold the salts against the skin and changing them twice a day helps dry it up within 3 days. For prevention after it\'s dried up mix about a tablespoon of bath salts with purified water. Spray the mixture directly onto the skin twice a day (more often if you\'ll be exercising or outside in hot/humid weather).
Grapefruit seed extract is a supplement that naturally kills viruses, bacteria, and fungal infections. One tip about grapefruit seed extract is to only buy the capsules (the liquid supplement and tablets taste terrible; like eating soap).
Olive leaf extract is another supplement that does everything grapefruit seed extract does plus more. Consuming one or both of these supplements daily according to instructions on the bottle will prevent future outbreaks. Plus, you will become healthier and not get sick very much with continued use of one or both of these supplements.
Both supplements can be found in most stores that sell vitamins. If you cannot find them locally I suggest buying online from www.SwansonVitamins.com since they have great quality products at the best prices possible.

Hello...

So I tried everything on this remedy page for ringworms and it all was going well until I noticed I started to get more and more of them.
I had ringworm spreading from my abdomen to my back and my legs. I even went out and got a blacklight and saw the rings glow green.
I had done everything from the nail polish to the tea tree oil to iodine and even to moleskin. To top it off a doctor that works the ER at the hospital
with my grandma, an RN nurse, had told her to get me lamisil or lotrimin (AF creams) and to bathe with selsun blue. 3 weeks later
the spots got bigger, redder and itchy...EXTREMELY itchy! Sooo finally I gave in and went to the dermatologist and to find out what I had
wasn't even ringworm. I have something that starts out like ringworm but in actuality its not contagious nor is it a fungus. What I have is a
skin virus called PITYRIASIS ROSEA and it lasts up to 8 weeks long or longer.

With this skin condition my doctor had told me that everything I was doing, including bathing in hot water and all the remedies actually
caused the virus to irritate and spread more. I have no doubt that if I had ringworm these remedies would work but in the end it
is best to go to the doctor no matter the cost. No one should suffer and especially if you have something thats not contagious
its an enormous relief.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 10:01 AM
Name: Stacey
"sunbunz77@yahoo.com"
Country_of_Remedy: USA , Knoxville, TN
Ingredients: NAIL POLISH !!!!!!!
Instructions: Whoever on here mentioned to use NAIL POLISH I am forever grateful to you! I have had a pretty severe case of ringworm covering most of my back (prob 30 spots/lesions) and then spread to my stomach (same amount) very quickly. I had been using all the creams at the store with no luck, they seemed to work alittle but the fungus was winning the battle. Then I had read on here to use clear nail polish, that is suffocates them, and it is working!!! Within 24 hours they were reduced to half and diminishing. I am on my 3rd day of reapplying the nail polish. Just let it sluff off on its own and put new over the old (whats still stuck to skin).Try to avoid colored polish, it doesnt dry as well and gets on clothes. I still have a few smaller pink lesions (prob 10-15) I will continue treatment until I see absolutely no more. Had this crap for over 3 mos and nail polish is what did the trick!!! Thank God I waited to go to the doctor so I didnt have to waste money I dont have and they would of written me a script what prob wouldnt have worked as well as the polish did! Im so glad its almost done, total treatment I would say could be up to a week. I was also taking 4000 mgs of odorless garlic a day (antifungal) and acidophiles twice a day. But I really notice the change over nite after using the nail polish. Thanks again to this website!!! Stacey

27-Jan-08 at 10:24 PM:

NAME: Tina
EMAIL: Tina_Trace@yahoo.com
COUNTRY_OF_REMEDY: USA
INGREDIENTS: Cream from the drug store and moleskin.
INSTRUCTIONS: Hello, I recently developed a small disgusting patch on my stomach. The Doctor said fungus a gave me a $70 prescription. I don't have insurance so that treatment was out. Thinking fungal infection was a nice way of saying ringworm I got some cheap cream from the pharmacy. The cream just seemed to make it "mad" so I was happy to find your site. Some people recommended Tea Tree oil. I think Tea tree oil is a miracle for everything so I was surprised that it didn't help. I tried bleach as well. Everything seemed to inflame the skin and make it worse. I went in a tanning bed. I thought it was cured but a couple days later it was back with a vengeance. I covered it in nail polish....then tried crazy glue thinking that would surely smother it. I used Monistat. Then Neosporin thinking it had become infected. I did everything but rub gas on it a set it on fire. (don't try it) After realizing my clothing was helping it to grow and spread.........I put a ton of the ringworm cream on it and covered it in moleskin. They sell Moleskin to cover sore spots on your feet. The cream kept it from sticking to the ringworm and the heavy duty patch kept the cream moist and anything from touching it. It has been less than a day and it is almost gone. It is peeling right off. They say to dry it out but in my case I had to drown it in cream. Thanks for all your stories and treatments. I was good to know I wasn't the only one with a fungus that just wouldn't die.

19-Dec-07 at 05:23AM:
NAME: Phyllis Robinson

COUNTRY_OF_REMEDY: United States
NAME_OF_REMEDY: Ringworm
INGREDIENTS: Apple Cider Vinegar.
INSTRUCTIONS: All you need is to put apple cider vinegar on a cottonball and apply a couple times a day. Will dry up and disappear quickly.

NAME: Allison
EMAIL: briandali@dejazzd.com
COUNTRY_OF_REMEDY: Unknown

INGREDIENTS: Vinegar and a penny
INSTRUCTIONS: Just take a few pennies and soak them in the vinegar fora while then rub it on the ringworm twice a day. It dries it up fast! Ilived on a farm and my mom always used this to get rid of it.

27-Jul-06 at 09:21 PM:
NAME: Diva
INGREDIENTS: Mixing the one part bleach and six parts water has truley done the trick
INSTRUCTIONS:
Wwhen everyone said don't use bleach. What started as a small cirlce on my stomack turned into something disgusting and painful. I tried everything including over the counter and perscription nothing worked and the area was going daily and I was desperate. Trust me when bleach looks like a reasonable remedy you are desperate, but when all else failed the bleach solution mix worked almost immediately. It dried up the blister, burned at first and left what looks like a burn behind but in a few weeks it will clear up. Thanks to the first email that suggested diluting the bleach.

1-Jul-06 at 08:23 PM:
NAME: MONECA
EMAIL: moet107@hotmail.com
COUNTRY_OF_REMEDY: USA
INGREDIENTS: EPSOM SALT, BATH SOAK, TINACTIN & MUD MASK.
INSTRUCTIONS: WELL I USED THE ABOVE ITEMS AND FOUND THAT THEY JUST DIDN'T WORK FAST ENOUGH. THIS ONE WORKS A LITLLE FASTER AS LONG AS YOU ARE CONSISTENT. THE 1ST THING I DID WAS THIS:
1.WET AREA WITH WATER
2.POUR EPSOM SALT AND BATH SOAK IN PALM OF YOUR HANDS ADD TINACTIN TO
MAKE MOIST.
3.IT MIGHT HURT GOING ON BUT IF YOU DO IT EVERY NIGHT YOU WILL GET USED
TO IT.
4.THEN ADD THE MUD MASK REAL THICK LET IT DRY, IT WILL FEEL REAL TIGHT.
THAT MEANS IT IS DRYING UP.
THIS IS GOOD BECAUSE NOT ONLY DOES IT STOP ITCHING IT DRIES THE BACTERIA OUT SO IT CAN'T FEED OFF OF ANYTHING. DURING THE DAY JUST PUT THE MUD MASKON THE SPOTS DIRECTLY SO IT ISN;T SO MESSY. BUT AT NIGHT DO THE WHOLE AREA. I AM THE CLEANEST PERSON YOU CAN COME ACROSS BUT I PUT ON A PIECE OF CLOTHING FROM THE ATTIC WITHOUT WASHING IT FIRST AND NOW MY LEGS ARE SO INFECTED THEY JUST KEEP SPREADING.DO NOT TRY BLEACH IT BURNS AND LEAVES A MARK.TO CLEAR UP THE RED MARKS AND REDNESS USE DR.PALMERS BLEACH CREAM, ITS NOT REALLY BLEACH BUT IT MOISTERIZES AFTER ALL THAT DRYING OUT AND USE ITDAY AND NIGHT ABOUT 5 DAYS YOU SHOULD SEE THE DIFFERENCE.

26-Jun-06 at 12:52
AM:

SUBJECT: Home Remedy
NAME: Sonya Skinner
EMAIL: crimson@tds.net
COUNTRY_OF_REMEDY: United States

INGREDIENTS: 1 sheet of white notebook paper, 1 glass or ceramic plate,
a match or lighter
INSTRUCTIONS: Crumple the paper and put it on the plate. Light it with match or lighter and let it burn down. The residue it leaves will be an orange salve. Let it cool a few seconds,put some on your finger, and rub it on the ringworm. It will stain the skin but can be washed off. I frequently got ringworm as a child and this is the only remedy my mother ever used. It really works and is very inexpensive.

15-Jun-06 at 03:00 AM:
NAME: Kelly
EMAIL: kelly@goldencreations.co.za
COUNTRY_OF_REMEDY: South Africa

INGREDIENTS: Anti-fungal or Tropical Cream
INSTRUCTIONS: Simply apply the anti-fungal/tropical cream (which will be available from your local pharmacy - usually very affordable!)twice or thrice daily - it should be cleared up within approx 7 - 14 days. But don't stop there - continue using it for another 2 weeks to prevent the ringworms from re-errupting. Guaranteed (for me!) :)It's not serious - so don't panic.

13-Jun-06 at 05:00 AM:
NAME: Lydia
COUNTRY_OF_REMEDY: U.S.A

INGREDIENTS: 100% tea tree oil (5% cineole, 35% terpinen-4ol)
Blue Star ointment
Nu Skin bandage
box of Q-tips (300 or more)
INSTRUCTIONS: OK! Here is the best herbal and cheapest way to get rid of ringworm! I had ringworm for a week and I used the OTC creams (Lotrimin,Lamisil) to treat it, it took a week and it was finally going down. Then I saw this home remedey site and read about how nail polish was effective. I researched other sites and found the same information, also
I really wanted to get rid of that thing. I found some clear nail polish and used it. The nail polish did seem to "suffocate" the ringworm, but I wasn't sure if I remove it and apply a fresh coat, or just keep applying a fresh coat. I should have done the latter. I used nail polish remover and ended up burning my skin. But the worst part about it was that the remover created an allergic reaction in my system. I broke out in lesions all over my body, I did not know if they were ringworms or not. I was desperate, so I made an appointment with my doctor and asked for a dermatologist. The dermatologist didn't have any openings now! I decided to again take matters in my own hands and went back online for more research. I read about Fungrx and was about to order it, when I saw that one of the main ingredients was tea tree oil. I remembered reading on this site about tea tree oil being a suggested remedy for ringworm. I went to Walmart and got 100% tea tree oil (make sure it's 5% cineole, 35% terpinen-4ol), got nu skin liquid bandage, and Blue Star ointment. If you go to ( www.pureteatreeoil.com), it gives you step by step instructions for using the tea tree oil with ringworm. Anyway, I used a Q-tip and applied the tea tree oil on every single lesion on my body, being sure to use a different Q-tip each time so as not to get the infection in the bottle. Then I covered each lesion with Nu Skin bandage. The very next day all of the lesions had dried up! (no joke!) Some parts of me were a little itchy so I used the Bule star oitment to stop it. I applied the tea tree oil over and over about 3-4 times a day. The lesions continued to dry up. It is recommended to still apply the tea tree oil for about 2-3 more weeks ,even if the infection clears up. It does work you will see results within days! I promise! I'm not a salesperson but I should be, this stuff works great! Also, DO NOT USE BLEACH! I nail polish remover can burn your skin imagine what bleach will do!.

A remedy that my mother used when we were kids for ringworm was dip a penny into vinegar and tape it over top of the ringworm. The reaction of the vinegar with the copper from the penny does something to the ringworm that makes it go away. I used this on my kids when they were little and it worked for them, too. I know that vinegar kills bacteria but it does something more when it reacts with the copper.

Karen
Delaware, USA

07-May-06 at 09:13 PM:
NAME: Amber C
EMAIL: jeffholley454@yahoo.com
COUNTRY_OF_REMEDY: USA

INGREDIENTS: neosporiin AF
INSTRUCTIONS: I tried three different creams for ringworm but the Neosporin, wich is a spray, seemed to work the best because it dried up the area instead of keeping it moist like the creams did. Spray it on right after you shower because my ringworms always got worse when they were wet.

Date/Time: 2006-03-12 22:22:29 PST
Tim
email address = stressedout69@hotmail.com
Country of Remedy = Canada

Ingredients = - Sea Salt (readily available at drug stores in the bath and beauty aisle. Look around for sea salt scrubs that have sea salt listed as one of the top 5 ingredients)
- Water
- A little faith
Instructions = And here goes my incredibly long bout with ringworm. I worked at the airport for a good year and in March 2005, I noticed a small patch of scaly skin developping on my arm right on the part of my arm where I would lean on my counter where I worked. I thought it odd, but assumed it would go away... It didn't and after a month, I went to see a doctor who prescribed me a hydrocortisone cream which she said would clear it right up. Which it did, until it started to come back, larger and scalier than before. Not to mention that I managed to spread it from the original spot on my arm to my other arm in 6 spots, both shoulders, both sides of my neck, my forehead, both cheeks and a couple spots on my legs. I couldn't believe it! I felt like a leper. You
couldn't cover it up! So, after going back again to see the doctor numerous times, it turned out to be ringworm. I couldn't believe that I had basically caught ringworm from work, AND had managed to spread it to my face. So, the doctor prescribed me Lamisil 1% which he said wouldclear it right up... Well, it's be 5 tubes so far and it was still on my face, albeit it managed to eradicate the other spots after months... So, since this ringworm was about to celebrate a birthday, I was beginning to lose all hope. Until I saw a little remedy speaking of using sea salts to dry up the patches... It was fairly cheap, but I was desperate thinking of course that it would never work. So, I went out to my drug store, bought some bath salt which had a high concentration of sea salt in it, came home, wet my face and applied the bath salt directly to the affected areas on my cheeks and forehead. It stung a little, but it was tolerable. I left the salt on for a good 30 minutes and then would re-apply... being sure to mist my face with regular water to moisten my skin and re-wet the salt. After 3 days of doing this, the ringworm completely dried up and I look like myself again! I couldn't believe it! How could something so simple work where my hundreds of dollars worth of drugs and creams didn't? It turns out that since the sea salt dried out my skin so much, the ringworm couldn't survive. So, mark my words... it works. I've been living with ringworm on my face for almost a year and almost gave up all hope, but this really worked! Sea salt. Wet the area and apply the sea salt scrub directly to the ringworm and let the salt do the rest. Now, I'm incredibly pale and thought that it would leave my skin red and blotchy, but it didn't... and any redness, was pretty minimal and could be easily covered up if need be.Seriously. Stop wasting your money on creams that take WEEKS to work! Sea Salt.
Best of luck!

Tia--
Date/Time: 2006-02-22 08:12:30 PST
Country of Remedy = U.S.A.
Name of Remedy = Ringworm
Ingredients = 1 Part Bleach
6 Parts Water
Instructions = Take one part bleach (I use the cap off the bleach jug)and 6 parts water and mix in a resealable container(for use during duration of treatment). Take cotton ball and dip it in the bleach/water mixture.Squeeze out cotton ball until damp and no longer dripping.Apply twice daily, for 15 seconds, to affected area, three days past clearing of the infection. Should take 3 to 7 days to clear up.Using diluted bleach prevents chemical burns and stinging.Make sure before application that the affected area is not open or bleedingor stinging may occur. Also works on scalp infected areas. Cotton ball
for scalpshould be a little drippy. This is so the mixture will soak the hair and reach
the scalp. Hair can be affected by ringworm and cause the hair to be brittle and break off. Make sure your clothing is protected from mixture.

Date: Thursday, February 2, 2006
Time: 10:57 PM EST
Dee
Country of Remedy: USA
Name of Remedy: Ringworm
Ingredients: any type of anti-fungal cream
plastic(saran wrap)
tape

Instructions: put anti-fungal cream on area then place tape plastic
wrap over itit smothers or suffocates the fungus, keep doing until cleared up.



Date: Friday, February 3, 2006
Time: 12:45 PM EST
Keith
email address: ktgagnon@ncsu.edu
Country of Remedy: USA
Name of Remedy: ringworm; external fungal/bacterial infections
Ingredients: Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE)
Instructions: I got a ringworm patch and tried antifungal sprays but no deal. Didn't think much of it since I figured it would go away. When it got ~1" in diameter and flaky, then some showed up on my hand, that was it. Grapefruit seed extract (GSE) only costs a few bucks for a bottle, usually comes in 50% glycerol, and is great for all kinds of skin irregularities (acne, fungal infections, dandruff, etc.). Anyhow, I got up in the morning, rubbed some GSE on it, put a bandaid over it, and by noontime the skin had bubbled up and the ringworm was dead. I threw some salt in the wound, let the air get to it and scab over, and it was gone. I think you're supposed to dilute it first and then apply over a few days time, but I wasn't waiting. Full strength GSE will slightly irritate healthy skin but if its ringworm it will burn for a little while, you'll know. Long story short, Full strength GSE will kill ringworm dead in no time, probably the quickest remedy. Highly recommended.

Date: Thursday, February 9, 2006
Time: 7:47 PM EST
Erika
email address: Erika78750@yahoo.com
Country of Remedy: USA

Ingredients: Tea Tree oil
Instructions: I know that what I had was ringworm but it did not glow in the black light. My cat had it too and her's didn't glow either. I tried several treatments of antifungal creams and for about 4 months it wouldn't get any better. I read somewhere that tea tree oil works so I got a paint brush (small one) and dipped it into the oil. I then brushed every spot that I could see. In about a week it was gone. I do still have a darker skin tone in the area that it was at but the ring along with raised skin and itching it gone. I haven't used anything on it since then and it has not gotten worse or came back.

Date: Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Time: 10:22 AM EST
Chatney
email address: peppers@gru.net
Country of Remedy: U.S.A

Ingredients: blue star ointment..you can buy it from walmart,it works everytime!!
Instructions: Just apply the ointment a few times a day on the ringworm for a few days and it will clear up!!!

Date: Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Time: 6:05 PM EST
Email address: Karen
email address: rains381@yahoo.com
Country of Remedy: USA
Ingredients: (GREEN) BLACK WALNUT
Instructions: THE GREEN SHEEL CRACK IT OPEN TAKE THE BLACK STUFF FROM IT AND SMEAR ON AREA THAT HAS THE RINGWORM.ONCE ADAY FOR ABOUT THREE DAYS. *SPECIAL NOTES* *WEAR GLOVES* THE BLACK STUFF WILL STAIN * LET DRY BEFORE GETTING IN CONTACT WITH CLOTHING* IT IS AN NATIVE AMERICAN REMEDY

Date: Friday, November 18, 2005
Time: 10:37 PM EST
Karl
Country of Remedy: USA

Ingredients: Bleach
Instructions: Ok, I tried Lotrimin lotion for about a week, no luck. Next I tried the nail polish trick for a week, no luck. I was out of options and was so scared to use bleach because of what i read on this site. I finally manned up, put bleach on a Qtip and applied it to one of my seven ring worms. Bingo next day it was dried out , a lot brighter red, but didnt itch at all. The following day it started to clear up. I put it on the rest of em. This stings for about 15-30 minutes. But works.

Date: Friday, August 19, 2005
Time: 9:53 AM EST
D
email address: utility@nexet.net
Country of Remedy: Virginia

Ingredients: black walnut oil or extract; packaging juice from jar of
minced garlic; glycerin or vegetable oil.
Instructions:

1) as to bleach - original "clorox" type bleach contained only sodium hypochlorite, an oxidizer - that's safe to use on human skin; now, many household bleach products come with sodium hydroxide, commonly known as lye, a powerfully caustic agent that will burn holes in your skin. Read the label and make sure the bleach product you use
contains ONLY sodium hypochlorite and water.
2) first, you've got two choices: oil based and water based; the oil based is better because it tends to displace water which fungi need; the water based is better because it tends to disperse better into the skin
bringing the antifungal agents closer to the ringworm.For me, it's six of one and half a dozen of the other; same difference. So if your minced garlic comes packed in oil, make oil based, if it comes packed in water, make water based. Use black walnut OIL or Extract respectively to go with your garlic juice. Also use vegetable oil (some folks think olive oil has natural healing
properties of its own, and watch out for nut oils if you're allergic) if you're making the oil-based product, use glycerin if you're using the
water based product.Mix 'em up in even proportions - apply topically at least twice a day, but more often won't hurt. Continue to do it for about ten days after the symptoms disappear.This is consistent with the use of bleach, nail polish, and commercially available remedies.
Application:
Shower or bathe really well with pine- or coal- tar soap and shampoo to reduce reproductive activity - when you see visible symptoms, the
fungus is in its reproductive phase and is shedding spores that will reinfect you and your pets.Epsom salts added to the water is a nice touch, the fungi don't like the sulfate ions it makes in the water. Or vice-versa.dry off with a clean towel that you then put directly in with the dirty clothes to be washed. if you're going to use bleach as well, do that first and let it dry well.apply product as described above topically to the affected area.After it's had time to soak into the skin, like at least 20 minutes, apply whatever other remedies you see fit, including commercial "drug store" antifungal agents.
Notes: read the labels of commercial antifungal agents - some aren't safe to use on the scalp, groin, or face. Remember that these things
work because they're poisonous - don't put them on pets, in or near mucous membranes, etc. or on any part of the bodythat contains lots of capillaries near the skin (scalp, face, groin) unless they say they're safe to use that way.Wash everything made of cloth that the affected person or pet is in contact with: clothes, bedding, towels - don't re-use any absorbent material that has come into contact with the fungus until it's been washed.wash everything in hot water with two ounces of "clorox" type bleach. Anything that can't be washed that way should be taken to the dry-cleaners and not worn again until about two weeks after the risk of reinfection is eliminated.
vacuum thoroughly, preferably with a HEPA bag or filter; dust and wipe down environmental surfaces with seriously deadly cleaner, e.g.,
bleach, lysol, windex disinfecting cleaner, palmolive antibacterial detergent, etc.Get the spores out of your house for good - reinfection is the biggest problem in dealing with ringworm.

Date: Sunday, August 7, 2005
Time: 11:01 AM EST
Daniel
Country of Remedy: US

Ingredients: Iodine solution, Ocean

A few months ago I had two spots of Ringworm on my legs.One really small one, and one three to four inches across that was way infected.I guess I didn't see it or realize it was ringworm till it was pretty far along.I tried many of the above recipes and advice. Here's what I learned.Just to mention it along with the others above, DO NOT USE BLEACH
ON YOUR SKIN!!! I didn't try this one, as I know something about chemistry. Bleach out of the bottle is a very strong
base, can be just as destructive as acid, and is very hardto measure the strength of. If you want to get the same benefits of bleach (ie, chlorine), go to a swimming pool somewhere, and swim often (see my advice on the ocean below also).I tried many of the over the counter creams, Clotrimazole and TerbinafineHydrocholride from Lotrimin, Lamisil, and Walmart's Equate. All these seemedto work well when it came to stopping the spread to a larger area, or shrinking
the area when it was really bad. But, the problem with this disease really seems to totally eradicate it. This is where taking the pills of Lamisil orally would be a lot more effective, but they cost so darn much! The best cures I found were Iodine solution, (Walmart Povidone) and believe it or not, swimming in the ocean!As many of the others above said, the objective is to dry it out, and it's a lot easier to spend a few hours a day walking at the beach than pouring salt straight
on the wound (which burns very much also,) and it's hard to just sit there for very long in a tub with salt on.
So to get a good jump on getting rid of it take a vacation at the shore for a week.After I got out of the water (and let it dry with the salt water on, better repeatedly)often the infected area looked like normal skin, it was so dried out!
(The sun and air helps too, I think.)I was lucky, I happened to move to an area 1/2 hour from the beach. :)And as for the Iodine, a trick I learned was to apply it with your finger, not a tissue or cloth, because you waste so much soaked in the material. One other thing, wash the affected area at least once a day,and watch the towel you dry the area with after a shower, bath, etc, because the infection's liquid will beoozing out from the water's heat. Thus, more ability for reinfection. And wash any clothes worn over the area, daily. That's a lot how it spreads, getting into your
clothes and then rubbed around on uninfected skin. Good luck!

Ingredients: Lotrimin AF Antifungal Cream, Dial Antibacterial soap

Instructions: I have to admit, I knew little about ringworm prior to getting it this year at the age of 24. Other than the scary name, I was clueless about the condition. After shaving one day I noticed a had a light red circular lesion on my face r ight around my chin. I figured it may have been a simple rash or razor burn perhaps but, as days went by the ring became more red and started to spread upwards toward my lip and also on the other side of my chin.

By the end of the week it was quite obvious what it was and it was quite bad. It wasn't as severe as some of the pictures I found on line of ringworm outbreaks on people's faces, it looked almost like a bad rash or a burn. Regardless, it was on my face, in plain view so that worried me. In fact, at one point it was so bad that I almost considered calling a dermatologist or even trying the dreaded bleach technique to remedy it.

After many hours of research Lotrimin seemed like the most logical way to treat it. I prepped my face with some Dial antibacterial soap and generously applied the cream 2 times a day. Days where I tended to sweat more I did an additional third application to make sure it was doing its job. A few weeks later the redness started to fade and ringworm area started to flake off and clear up. I was a bit skeptical of trying something radical on my face to clear it up but thankfully the Lotrimin worked really well. I made sure to keep applying the cream even it cleared up to prevent any reoccurance of it and then followed up with some Nivea moisturizer to help with some of the dryness the cream caused.

Date: Friday, July 8, 2005
Time: 11:12 AM EST
MONIQUE
Country of Remedy: AMERICA/LOUISIANA

Ingredients: JUICE FROM A FIG LEAF
Instructions: JUST BREAK OFF A LEAF AND RUB THE WHITE JUICE ON AND AROUND THE RINGWORM.REPEAT UNTIL GONE.(IT MIGHT BURN THAT JUST MEANS ITS WORKING)

Date: Tuesday, June 7, 2005
Time: 9:52 PM EST
Cheyenne
Country of Remedy: United States

Ingredients: Clear Nail Polish

Instructions: If you have ring worm, put clear nail polish on it (use a Qtip so you dont get the infection on the brush) and rub it over the circle. It doesnt really sting. What I did is every two hours or so I took off the polish (try using tweezers to peel it off but it may hurt because of the hairs). If you cant use tweezers just alternate with remover and soap and warm water. It may sting but its well worth it to get rid of it. I alternated the polish and removing it and adding a new coat for about a day and all that was left was a really faint pink ring...IT WILL WORK!!!

Date: Thursday, March 31, 2005
Time: 10:32 AM EST
Email address: Tony Paeno
email address: jujitsu9@hotmail.com
Country of Remedy: USA

Ingredients: lamisil/tinactin/some kind of anti-fungal cream
band-aid
Instructions: I'm a wrestler so ringworm is a normal thing for me, the best way to kill it is (this is only for spots 1 1/2 inch or less in diameter) to put the cream, in a VERY generous amount, onto the cushion of a band-aid that suits the size of the circle, then you put the band-aid (with cream) onto the circle. DON'T REMOVE FOR 8 HOURS. REPLACE EVERY 8 HOURS, WITH SHOWERS/BATHS BETWEEN BAND-AIDS.If the circle is within the .1 to 1 1/2 inch diameter range, it should be gone within 3-4 days.For faster result use nail-polish, but if it's small, and there aren't more than 2, just put the band-aid on, it's less harmful to your body.

Date: Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Time: 12:06 PM EST
allison
email address: lilpader@yahoo.com
Country of Remedy: usa

Ingredients: you will need the following:
povidone, iodine solution(walmart brand is chaep)
cheap shampoo
black light(not light bulblong type.I use a night light one one
extension cord.
Clear nail polish(i did use color one and it worked too)
Instructions: OK major MAJOR out break at my house. I took kid to doctors, and pets to vet got all the special meds and shampoo..... and GUESS what 7 days later everyone had at least 2 more rings including animals that where separated.OK after searching and test runs I came up with a combination of things THat REALLY WORK.First. I was lucky our type glow green in black light. So beening october I had no problem getting a small ( night light long bulb) black light.A black light light bulb will not work you have to get the long type. THIS IS A MUST. SO YOU CAN SEE ALL THE ringworm even if there is no spot you can see a spot before it shows itself. To give you idea of how bad we had it dog had 3, adult cat 2, baby kitten just alittle glow in ears(took care of that in seconds)Hubby had 7,9 yearold son had 3and my poor little 3 year old had 11(ranging from 1 inche to pencil earse size).When we first got the medical treatment only little one had one.. In 7 days it took over, and I was very aggressive from the start bleachedfloors, bedding,jackets backpacks shoes...over 15 loads of washing.. PLuse shampooed carpets with bleach. Ok finally I will get to the most amazing treatment works in seconds.. gone in 2 days.First I made everyone bath/shower with 1 part iodine to 1 part shampoo. I made them use a spongy, squishy thing. The animals got bathed and shampoo in this also.. I let it stay on animals 10 minutes. OK after the shower. GET clear nail polish.. WARNING it stings. and kids might cry if they have it bad.. But hang in there it is only 2 days of sting to get it gone. Get polish ready and put black light on. I used a extension cord so I can run it up and down the bodys. Any white is ok yellow is ok. BRIGHT green is ringworm. Cover every spot that you see glowing. My vet not to happy with me about putting polish on the animals but it works. and the best part as soon as spots are cover you will see the glow gone.. AND that means no more contagious. My littest had it in ears and hair and everywhere. He was so bad I took the next step and ran light
over toys. Needless to say we found out why we had outbreak. I bought toy from garages sale 2 weeks prior( a little keyboard) the toy was covered.I tossed it out in garabge. There was spots of small green on other toys, so I sprayed with antifungal spray, found in athletes foot section.AS a extra step I bleached bathrooms and also used a walmart brand listerne( antispectic) I wased toys with this and it works also. I ran the family under the light 2 a day. I covered any spots. I only had to do my hubby and older son and animals once and it was gone. The other one needed 2 days of treatment. I made everyone bath once a day for a week with iodine/shampoo mix. I bathed animals every other day. I know it seems like a lot of work. But seen as I am only one that did not get it,, and DID NOT want to get it, it was worth a few days of extra work, then to wait out the up to 8 weeks deal with the cream and it does not stop the spread.. This method stops the spread after first treatment.

Date: Tuesday, August 31, 2004
Time: 12:20 AM EST
Email address: Nicole
email address: hadara3570@yahoo.com
Country of Remedy: Ghana
Name of Remedy: Ringworm
Ingredients: Mercy Cream
Instructions: It is a herbal cream that cost $2.00 or less in most areas. It is made in Ghana Africa so you will probably have to go to an African market, however some health product stores do provide this cream. If you can not find this product, use tea tree oil and tea tree cream.

Date: Friday, June 4, 2004
Time: 11:52 PM EST
Megan
email address: meg420hed@yahoo.com
Country of Remedy: U.S.A. o-yea!

Ingredients: NAILPOLISH (preferable clear but any kind worx)
Instructions: Brush nail polish directly over and around ringworm~this will sufficate it and it'll be gone within 2 days(may burn slightly @ 1st )

Date: Monday, June 7, 2004
Time: 12:00 PM EST
Email address: Megan
Subject: Home RemedyCountry of Remedy: USA

Ingredients: LAMISIL
Instructions: DO NOT USE BLEACH!!!! The problem with bleach is that it
will react differently for everyone. Whoever recommends is wrong to
because bleach can cause serious allergic reactions for some people. For
example, me. After finding this site I put bleach on my skin. Because I
had open wounds it reacted with the under layers of my skin, causing a second degree chemical, which will leave scarring. This is all according to Dr. Pheyts at Miami Bapist Hospital. Plus you could have an allergic reaction to it and never know until your skin turns bright red. The problem with getting the chemical burn is it can cause scarring and you can become very ill. Please do not use it. There's a reason there's a warning label on products. Use vinegar or lamisil. Try less harmful products. Bleach is NOT a home remedy. Please take my advice.
Megan

Date: Monday, June 21, 2004
Time: 5:44 PM EST
Trece
email address: brownsuag399@aol.com
Country of Remedy: USA

Ingredients: Lamisil or any jock itch are yeast infection cream also
some thing for athelites feet
Instructions: but lamisil or other cream listed above on infected area
everyday you will oly have to use a small amount for a small ringworm
it may go away over night it works I worked at a daycare someone told me
to put bleach on it so i opened it up then poured bleach on it the
bleach caused a burn about a 1/2 inch deep on my chest not a good idea for
a ring worm use lamisil or yeast infection cream a ringworm is a fungus
so is jock itch and etc.

take a penny and let it soak in vinegar until crystals form. then thake the penny and band-aid it to the ringworm for alt least 2 days with out moving it. it should be gone.



Dear Susan,
looking for home remedies to get rid of my ringworm, Ifound your site and the recommendation to use vinegar.It worked, and investigating a little more, I foundout this:Human skin is slightly acidic by nature. Only when dueto some kind of disorder (like unbalanced nutrition)it becomes alkaline, do ringworm and other problemshave a chance to survive.So vinegar or any other mild acid that doesn't reactwith the skin cells is a good way to treat ringworm!Alkaline substances, like bleach, do harm to the skin,and only kill ringworm as a side effect. So don't use
them!As to prevention, it can only be done indirectly. One way is to frequently rub some vinegar on your skin. Asit has a strong smell, I would only do that on Fridaysand Saturdays, to avoid any strange odor on my body byMonday.The other preventive measure would be an improved dietthat naturally keeps the right pH of my skin.Unfortunately I can't recommend any appropriate diet,but maybe one of your list members can. In any case, agood diet is of course always the best first remedy!
Best Regards,
Uwe Brunjes

Date: Saturday, January 24, 2004
Time: 11:44 AM EST
ben delores
Country of Remedy: America

Ingredients: bleach ,q-tip
Instructions: Get some clorox bleach and a q -tip run on area, it will burn for 2 minutes but afterwards you will feel relief, try for 4 days
and it will be gone my guranteeTHis remedy is from Honduras, Central America.Take 1 or 2 pieces of garlic and mash it (with a bottom of a glass or what have you) in an small sheet of aluminum take the sheet with the garlic and apply it on the ringworm). Do this Twice a day ..... It will sting but in less than a week the ringworm will be gone.

Date: Sunday, November 30, 2003
Time: 7:06 PM EST
Molly
Molly69420 2002@yahoo.com

Ingredients: chewing tobacco/tabacco

Instructions: just get the tabacco wet and put it on the infected area
and it will dry it up by the next morning and start flaking off then
repeat it really worksWhen you use the clear finger nail polish, make sure you prick the area with a needle, in order for it to get in there and stop the ring worm. This works the best and my family has been doing it for years, it never fails.

Tonya

Date: Thursday, October 9, 2003
Time: 11:46 PM EST
United States

Ingredients: A bathtub full of hot water
salt
Lamisil (for jock itch)
Instructions: Fill your bathtub with hot water ( as hot as you can stand) and sprinkle a generous amount of salt into the water. Lay down in the water and get every affected area
wet. The water opens up the blisters. Sprinkle the salt on affected areas and rub it i n very well. Leave it on for about 15 minutes. It will take a few seconds for you to feel anything. When you do it will sting a bit. Dry off well and put the Lamisil
on affected areas. The salt draws the liquid from the blisters and drys them up. Do this twice daily for 2-3 days and it will dry up the blisters relieve your burning and itching and you will be comfortable again.

Date: Saturday, October 4, 2003
Time: 11:56 AM EST
Brandi
Country of Remedy: USA

Ingredients: vinegar
Instructions: Apply a small amount of vinegar to the infected area with a Q-tip everyday until it has cleared up.

Date: Monday, September 29, 2003
Time: 11:12 PM EST
Country of Remedy: usa

Ingredients: Clotrimazole
Instructions: I'm sorry, but whoever said use bleach....don't. It burns really bad for about 15 minutes then makes it even worse because it will give you a chemical burn.I woke up the next day with the ringworm bright red and burning to the
touch. Clotrimazole-which is for athletes foot-should take care of it pretty well.

Date: Monday, September 8, 2003
Time: 11:01 AM EST
Louise Carter
Country of Remedy: USA

Ingredients: Bleach
Instructions: Dob affected area with a cotton ball dipped in bleach twice a day. When I was first diagnosed with ringworm and told it is a fungus, I thought "Why can't I use bleach? Bleach kills fungi." Everyone said I was crazy, then I found your Ringworm home remedies site. It works. Just the first application broke the blisters, started to dry it up.
No more itching! Thank you so much!!

Date: Saturday, September 6, 2003
Time: 2:33 PM EST
Tonya
Country of Remedy: USA

Ingredients: Green walnuts
Instructions: Cut open green walnuts and rub juice on affected area.It may take one or two applications to kill fungus, but it reallyworks.

Ringworm- take a regular peice of paper with blue lines on it ..crumple it on a plate and set it on fire.... blow off ashes...what will be left on the plate is a yellow substance
(burnt sulfur) apply to ringworm ...it will be gone the next day...

Date: Wednesday, May 21, 2003
Time: 2:13 AM EST
Talia
USA

Ingredients: Calamine Lotion
Tea Tree Oil
Medicated Shampoo/Acne Soap
Blow Dryer (with "cool" setting preferable)
Instructions: Do this Morning and Night:
*Wash area with the medicated shampoo or ance soap
*Blow Dry the area so that it is very dry
*Apply calamine lotion so that it completely covers the affected area
*Blow dry again until completely dry
*Apply tea tree oil
**********
Periodically throughout the day, you should also apply the tea tree oil to the area. I'd say 5 times/day.
Ringworm dies by drying it out. I had a very bad case and tried many other things and this worked very well. Good Luck!If you soak a rag or paper towel with apple cider vinegar and let it soak the ringworm for about 15 min, just make sure it is fully soaked.The acid will kill the fungus. It doesn't hurt. My son had ringworm for almost a year. Medication after medication did not work. It kept coming back. I used the apple cider vinegar for a few days and it went away never coming back. I would use it until you don't see it anymore, maybe even longer if you have a tough case. It really works well. I would use before wasting money at the doctors and on prescription meds, they are hard to keep up with anyway.

Date: Monday, March 24, 2003
Time: 1:23 PM EST
angela
usa

I was very skeptical about bleach curing ringworm, but I did it. I applied everyday for a week with a Q-tip. It completely dried it up and is all better. It takes at least three weeks for the actual spot to disappear, but it was worth it.

Email address: Curtis Neal
USA

Ingredients: Clear nail polish.
Instructions: You apply the clear nail polish to the worm area and it sufficates it and makes it go away sounds wierd but it has worked for me and my family for years and years. Just keep applying it to the area everyday for a day or two and it will be gone.

Date: Friday, January 3, 2003
Time: 4:08 AM EST

chickadee1944@msn.com
Country of Remedy: USA

Use Iodine on the ring worm till it is gone usually takes
about 3 days maybe 4 it will start to die immediately after applying
the iodine. it really works we have done it for years.
Date: Wednesday, October 23, 2002
Time: 4:24 PM EST

Mary
Country of Remedy: usa

Ingredients: Desiten diaper ointment

Instructions: Applt to affected area three times daily till gone.
shorty
usa

I know this also sounds weird but it works. if u have a ringworm just apply bleach on the infected patch. Trust me it works wonders. And i know what your thinking is it going to burn! No it won't! I have heard it from other people and i have tried it myself. you can even try looking on other sites for home remedies. i have and most of them say bleach. it dries the ringworm out. That's how ringworms go away is by drying out.

Graduate Term Paper in Protecting Web Servers from Distributed Denial of Service Attacks

The article explains about the concept of IP spoofing. According to the article, spoofing is a sophisticated technique in which the attacker gains the access to the machine or network by forging the packets from the trusted machine. It is one of the most common forms of online camouflage. The reason for IP spoofing attacks according to the article are done for illegitimate purposes where the attackers want to hide their own identity and send malicious message to the destination as if the message is from a trusted machine. The main reason behind the possibility of IP spoofing is one of the weaknesses of TCP/IP protocol itself. Internet Protocol (IP) is the network protocol operation at the layer 3 (network layer) which is used to route the information across the Internet. The IP datagram packet contains IP header and data part where the IP header contains enough information about the source address and the destination address. One can easily manipulate the source and destination address of the IP header with normal socket programming knowledge. Furthermore IP is connectionless protocol so it does not validate whether the source address in the packet of the node is actually the source address of the node is generated by the trusted source itself or the spoofed address. Once the address is spoofed then the target machine will think that the data is coming from the trusted source.
The author of the article provides different methods of spoofing. Scanning is a process where the attackers connects to the host and gather information about the open ports, operating system or even the running applications in the host. Then the attackers try to exploit the vulnerability associated with the system. Predicting the sequence number for TCP connection is also a way to attack systems. Sequence number and acknowledgement numbers are used to provide the proper validation in TCP, as it is connection-oriented protocol. These sequence number and acknowledgement numbers are generated pesudo-randomly and with IP spoofing attacker may determine the algorithm for generating such sequence numbers and may intercept the sessions created by the TCP hosts. Denial of service attack results in half open connections where the receiver will wait for the final ACK from the attacker’s machine. Further the attacker will continuously send the packets so that there wont have space to store the state thus victim machine will have to deny the connection services from legitimate sources. Besides these attacks there are many different ways like hijacking an authorized sessions and flooding. Even spoofing can find the stat of firewall (i.e, stateful or stateless).

The author feels the detection of IP spoofing and the tracing back to the originating source will help to defend against IP spoofing.

Detection of IP spoofing
In order to detect spoofed IP, switches with the IP source safe guard features can help to match the MAC address of the host against the dynamic IP assigned by DHCP or the static IP assigned by the administrators. If the matching is unlikely then the packets are dropped. But it has also its own limitation. This method does not work if the host is in same subnet.

Tracing spoofed IP packets
Generally IP traceback feature is used to determine the spoofing source in which hop-by-hop traceback and logging of suspicious packets in the router are the two ways. In former method, when spoofing occurs then the ISP has to be informed so that they can traceback through the routers and ultimately reach to the attacker. In later method router has information of all its interfaces and when it sees the IP address that is not of its interface then it can log the packet as suspicious and help to detect the source.

Since IP spoofing is the shortcoming of the TCP/IP protocol itself so to remove it completely is difficult however the threat can be reduced to large extend with the process explained in the detection of IP spoofing, which is the concept of the article.

Tracing spoofed IP packets

The article explains about the concept of IP spoofing. According to the article, spoofing is a sophisticated technique in which the attacker gains the access to the machine or network by forging the packets from the trusted machine. It is one of the most common forms of online camouflage. The reason for IP spoofing attacks according to the article are done for illegitimate purposes where the attackers want to hide their own identity and send malicious message to the destination as if the message is from a trusted machine. The main reason behind the possibility of IP spoofing is one of the weaknesses of TCP/IP protocol itself. Internet Protocol (IP) is the network protocol operation at the layer 3 (network layer) which is used to route the information across the Internet. The IP datagram packet contains IP header and data part where the IP header contains enough information about the source address and the destination address. One can easily manipulate the source and destination address of the IP header with normal socket programming knowledge. Furthermore IP is connectionless protocol so it does not validate whether the source address in the packet of the node is actually the source address of the node is generated by the trusted source itself or the spoofed address. Once the address is spoofed then the target machine will think that the data is coming from the trusted source.
The author of the article provides different methods of spoofing. Scanning is a process where the attackers connects to the host and gather information about the open ports, operating system or even the running applications in the host. Then the attackers try to exploit the vulnerability associated with the system. Predicting the sequence number for TCP connection is also a way to attack systems. Sequence number and acknowledgement numbers are used to provide the proper validation in TCP, as it is connection-oriented protocol. These sequence number and acknowledgement numbers are generated pesudo-randomly and with IP spoofing attacker may determine the algorithm for generating such sequence numbers and may intercept the sessions created by the TCP hosts. Denial of service attack results in half open connections where the receiver will wait for the final ACK from the attacker’s machine. Further the attacker will continuously send the packets so that there wont have space to store the state thus victim machine will have to deny the connection services from legitimate sources. Besides these attacks there are many different ways like hijacking an authorized sessions and flooding. Even spoofing can find the stat of firewall (i.e, stateful or stateless).

The author feels the detection of IP spoofing and the tracing back to the originating source will help to defend against IP spoofing.

Detection of IP spoofing
In order to detect spoofed IP, switches with the IP source safe guard features can help to match the MAC address of the host against the dynamic IP assigned by DHCP or the static IP assigned by the administrators. If the matching is unlikely then the packets are dropped. But it has also its own limitation. This method does not work if the host is in same subnet.


Generally IP traceback feature is used to determine the spoofing source in which hop-by-hop traceback and logging of suspicious packets in the router are the two ways. In former method, when spoofing occurs then the ISP has to be informed so that they can traceback through the routers and ultimately reach to the attacker. In later method router has information of all its interfaces and when it sees the IP address that is not of its interface then it can log the packet as suspicious and help to detect the source.

Since IP spoofing is the shortcoming of the TCP/IP protocol itself so to remove it completely is difficult however the threat can be reduced to large extend with the process explained in the detection of IP spoofing, which is the concept of the article.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Mobile phones and the birds and the bees - By Ken Banks, IDG News Service

"An article recently published in the popular press has suggested that there may be a link between the increase in numbers of mobile phone masts and the reduction in local sparrow populations. The number of sparrows in Britain has effectively halved from 24 million approximately thirty years ago to a present day figure of 14 million, a decrease of almost 50%."

(Ken Banks, report to the Vodafone Group Foundation, December 2002)

Exactly six years ago, a research paper on lowly house sparrows launched my mobile career. Back then, rumors were circulating that the proliferation of mobile phone masts were wiping out Britain's sparrow population, and Vodafone wanted to know more. It was an interesting if not odd piece of research to do, but one far less technically challenging than a lot of the work that was to follow. It also loosely fitted in with my conservation and technology background, a theme that I've managed to continue to this day.

Although I concluded that there was no clear link, that was far from the end of it. More recently, in fact, mobile phones have been blamed for the monumental decline in many bee populations. Firstly birds, and now bees. What next?

Links between mobile phone use and human health have long been a point of study and contention, as have the many theories surrounding the mysterious and sudden decline of some bird and bee populations. Speculation about mobile phone masts affecting birds is nothing new, but blaming them for the decline of bee populations is a little more recent, and, because of the importance of bee pollination in many ecosystems, it's potentially more worrying (unless you're a sparrow, of course).

Both arguments hinge on the effect of electromagnetic fields on the ability of birds and bees to navigate, and there is evidence to suggest there might just be some truth in it. A racing pigeon fancier reportedly lost two-thirds of his birds when a mast was built next to his farm, and entire bee colonies have been known to literally abandon their hives in an event known as CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder). In the U.S., between 50 percent and 90 percent of bee colonies have been affected by CCD in the last four years, so much so that bee-laden hives are now literally driven around California in an attempt to keep the economically vital fruit-growing industry going.

Pollination is more than just economically and environmentally important, however. Estimates suggest that one-third of the human diet can be traced directly, or indirectly, to bee pollination. If our obsession with wireless technologies continues, we could very soon find ourselves in trouble. In an experiment carried out on eight bee colonies at Landau University in Germany, three hives exposed to mobile phone radiation eventually broke down. One hive saw no bees returning at all, and only six returned to another. Looking at these figures, it might come as no surprise to hear that research going back decades has regularly highlighted the phenomenal sensitivity of honeybees to electromagnetic fields.

Could the same apply to some birds? A number of scientists are trying to figure this out, and there's a growing body of research looking into the effect of electromagnetic fields on bird reproduction. A few years ago Denis Henshaw, professor of physics at Bristol University, carried out tests where the egg-laying ability of chickens was effected by electromagnetic waves. Of course, this doesn't shed much light on why some native bird species are effected more than others, and it doesn't explain the considerable decline in house sparrow populations before 1994, the year that witnessed the beginnings of today's mobile phone boom. According to critics, mobile phone masts have simply joined unleaded petrol, cats, grey squirrels, loft installation, and changing farming and building practices on the list of likely -- or unlikely -- suspects. Even the British Trust for Ornithology isn't 100 percent convinced, pointing to that fact that other native birds -- such as blue tit, great tit, robins and blackbirds -- all live and breed in the same habitat as sparrows, yet show no sign of rapid decline.

As with studies on the effect of radio waves on human health, it is unlikely there will be consensus on their wider risk to the environment any time soon. But if you're in any doubt about how "busy" it is up there, one look at the wireless spectrum is enough to give you a headache. The airwaves -- extremely valuable real estate in today's wireless, digital world -- are literally packed with chatter and noise, much of which is passing silently through our bodies every minute of every day. Even though you and I may not notice it, there's every chance that the birds and the bees do.

Ken Banks, founder of kiwanja.net, devotes himself to the application of mobile technology for positive social and environmental change in the developing world and has spent the last 15 years working on projects in Africa. Recently, his research resulted in the development of FrontlineSMS, a field communication system designed to empower grassroots nonprofit organizations. Ken graduated from Sussex University with honors in Social Anthropology with Development Studies and currently divides his time between Cambridge (U.K.) and Stanford University in California on a MacArthur Foundation-funded fellowship. Ken was awarded a Reuters Digital Vision Fellowship in 2006 and named a Pop!Tech Social Innovation Fellow in 2008. Further details of Ken's wider work are available on his Web site.