Athlete foot is more common than you can imagine, probably, owing to the fact that the infection is not visible for all to see, it is a known fact that these fungi thrive in hot, tropical climates like ours and men get athletes foot more often than women probably due to their larger surface area. Athlete’s foot fungus will not infect the skin if conditions are not right – it requires a warm and moist environment. Because of this, only about 0.75% of people who regularly walk about barefoot are affected by this fungus.
Tinea is the medical name for a group of related fungal skin infections that affect the skin, nails, or scalp, including athlete’s foot. These infections are caused by mold-like fungi called dermatophytes that live on the dead tissues of your skin, hair, and nails. The fungal organisms easily spread from one person to another in moist places where people walk barefoot e.g swimming pools, public bathrooms etc.
What are the symptoms of Athlete’s foot?
Athlete’s foot usually forms between the fourth and fifth (smallest) toes or third and fourth toes and is characterized by the following symptoms;
- scaly red rash that typically begins in between the toes.
- Itching is often the worst right after you take off your shoes and socks.
- blisters or ulcers.
- chronic dryness and scaling on the soles that extends up the sides of the feet(moccasin variety of athlete’s feet).
The infection can affect one or both feet and can spread to your hand — especially if you scratch or pick at the infected parts of your
How to Prevent Athlete Foot.
- Wash your feet twice a day with water and soap. Make sure you clean between your toes each time.
- Keep your feet dry. If it helps, apply (anti fungal) talcum powder to your feet. Walk around barefoot at home as much as you can. If you have diabetes, do not walk around barefoot, but let your feet “breath” (air) as much as you can
- As soon as you have finished doing sports or exercise, take your shoes off.
- Wear loose-fitting, well ventilated shoes, especially during the warmer months. The best material for shoes are leather or canvas. Wear sandals when you can.
- Make sure your feet are dry before putting your socks, stockings or tights on. Wear socks made from material that draws moisture away from your feet, such as cotton, silk or wool.
- When walking around public swimming pools and communal changing rooms and shower areas wear pool slippers
- Change the shoes you wear regularly, so that your footwear is relatively dry. Shoes need time to dry out between wearings.
- Do not share footwear.
- Wash your sheets and towels regularly.
- If your pet has hair loss, this could be a sign of athlete’s foot – take it to the vet. Humans can contact athlete’s foot from their pets.
Recommended: Reasons Why You Must Sleep More
Treatment of Athlete Foot.
Most cases of athlete’s foot are mild and can be treated at home using self-care methods and anti fungal medication.
The following measures can help treat athlete’s foot:
- Wash your feet regularly and thoroughly using soap and water.
- After washing, dry your feet, paying particular attention to the areas between your toes.
- Wear clean cotton socks.
- Change your shoes and socks regularly to help keep your feet dry.
- Don’t share towels and wash your towels regularly.
Antifungal medication works by killing the fungi that are causing your infection. This type of medicine is available in several different forms, including:
Topical antifungal medicines, which are applied directly to the affected area, are widely available from pharmacies without a prescription.
Prevention they say is better than cure. In this hot season it is not uncommon for many people to be victims of this fungus, stay clean, keep good hygiene and treat your athlete foot effectively by using the self care method or visiting your physician for stubborn infections.