Athlete’s Foot
Athlete’s Foot
Athlete’s foot is a common skin infection caused by fungus. As many as 70% of people contract athlete’s foot in their lifetime. It’s highly contagious, itchy, irritating, and can lead to infections or more serious conditions.
There are a variety of athlete’s foot symptoms to watch out for. Often, the infection starts between the toes and can spread to the rest of the foot. Common athlete’s foot symptoms are a red raised rash, dry flaky skin, or moist rubbery skin between the toes. It can also be itchy, stinging, or burning, but these specific athlete’s foot symptoms aren’t present in all cases.
- Causes & Prevention
- Treatment
Athlete’s Foot Causes and Prevention
The most common athlete’s foot cause is picking up the bacteria from walking barefoot in public areas. Swimming pools, locker rooms, gym floors or showers – these places commonly carry athlete’s foot bacteria because so many people use them barefoot. Wearing footwear in these public areas is the best way to avoid an infection.
You can also see symptoms of the infection after your feet sweat in enclosed shoes or socks for long periods of time, like when you’re running or playing a sport. Using proper athletic footwear (shoes and socks) that allows airflow will help keep your feet dry and prevent an infection.
The bacteria is highly contagious, so you can contract it directly from contact with another person. It’s necessary to thoroughly wash and dry feet if you suspect you may have been in direct or indirect contact with someone infected with athlete’s foot.
Athlete’s Foot Treatment and Cures
It’s important to get athlete’s foot treatment as soon as you start to see symptoms. It can spread very easily to other people, in public places or within your own household. The infection can spread to other parts of your body as well, like your toenails or even your hands. In some cases, it can become a chronic infection which makes it very difficult to treat and can lead to a lot of discomfort and irritation.
Luckily, athlete’s foot treatment is quite simple in most cases and when caught early. There are a variety of over the counter topical creams or sprays that we can recommend that can clear up the infection within a few days. In more severe cases, we can prescribe antifungal cream or spray to get rid of the infection.
At Collective Foot and Wellness Clinic, we can make recommendations to help you prevent and cure your athlete’s foot. Don’t let the infection spread on yourself, in the public, or to your friends and family. We can help you eliminate it and prevent it.