NHS Choices Condition
Content supplied by NHS Choices
Your GP should be able to diagnose the condition by examining the affected skin.
Further tests are only required when:
- the infection is severe and/or widespread,
- the infection does not respond to treatment, or
- the infection keeps recurring (coming back).
In the above circumstances a small area of affected skin will be gently wiped with a swab (like a large cotton bud) for further tests. This is to rule out the possibility of other conditions such as shingles or ringworm (a fungal infection of the skin).
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