Athlete’s
Foot
What is it?
Athlete’s foot is a common fungal infection that occurs most often in the feet but can also spread to other areas, such as the hands, if not treated. Improper hygiene most often causes the infection, which is easily prevented if one knows the proper methods.
Causes
The fungal bacteria that cause athlete’s foot tend to live
in damp areas such as locker rooms and showers. They are easily able to infect
the feet if moisture exists for extended periods of time. For instance,
not thoroughly drying the feet after showering, or not frequently changing
socks, particularly after exercising, creates a much greater chance of
contracting athlete’s foot.
Symptoms
Athlete’s foot has a few common symptoms to watch for. These can include:
1. Dryness or cracking of the skin between the toes or on the bottoms of the feet
2. Redness between the toes, especially the two smallest toes
3. Persistent itching, particularly between the toes
4. Raised bumps on the bottoms of the feet
5. Yellowing
or crumbling of toenails (typically in later stages of infection)
Once these symptoms are noticed, athlete’s foot is easy to
prevent and treat. It is important to begin treatment as soon as possible,
though, so the infection does not progress into symptoms such as crumbling toenails
and infection of the fingers.
Prevention
Athlete’s foot is extremely easy to prevent. It does not require any major changes of lifestyle; only simple changes in hygiene. Try the following solutions to prevent athlete’s foot:
1. Change socks frequently. It is especially important to change socks immediately after exercising, because the toes are usually sweaty after exercise.
2. Completely dry the skin between toes after each shower to prevent the fungus from growing in spots that usually remain moist and are easy to neglect.
3. Wear lightweight shoes with mesh around the toe area to help the toes remain as dry as possible.
4. Wear shoes in the shower whenever possible, especially in settings such as locker rooms, pool decks and dormitory bathrooms. These are locations where the germs are unfamiliar, as opposed to one’s own house, and where it is almost always damp.
5. Put talcum powder on feet after showering and exercising to help them dry more quickly.
Treatment is simple once athlete’s foot has been recognized,
though it may take a few weeks before the fungus disappears completely.
First, change hygiene habits to include the above
prevention methods. These improved hygiene habits should be coupled with
medication. Over-the-counter medication is available for athlete’s foot
in most drugstores. These creams must be applied twice a day until the
infection is gone.
If the infection does not disappear after about three weeks,
an oral prescription medication, can be obtained from general
practitioners.
It is important to remember that athlete’s foot is common and extremely treatable. However, in order to prevent recurrence of the infection, improved hygiene must be maintained even after medications are finished and the infection has cleared up.
