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Not all
fungus conditions are athlete's foot. Other conditions,
such as disturbances of the sweat mechanism, reaction to
dyes or adhesives in shoes, eczema, and psoriasis, also
may mimic athlete's foot.
Symptoms
The signs of athlete's foot, singly or combined, are
drying skin, itching scaling, inflammation, and blisters.
Blisters often lead to cracking of the skin. When blisters
break, small raw areas of tissue are exposed, causing pain
and swelling. Itching and burning may increase as the
infection spreads.
Athlete's
foot may spread to the soles of the feet and to the
toenails. It can be spread to other parts of the body,
notably the groin and underarms, by those who scratch the
infection and then touch themselves elsewhere.The
organisms causing athlete's foot may persist for long
periods. Consequently, the infection may be spread by
contaminated bed sheets or clothing to other parts of the
body.
Prevention
It is not easy to prevent athlete's foot because it is
usually contracted in dressing rooms, showers, and
swimming pool locker rooms where bare feet come in contact
with the fungus. However, you can do much to prevent
infection by practicing good foot hygiene. Daily washing
of the feet with soap and water; drying carefully,
especially between the toes; and changing shoes and hose
regularly to decrease moisture, help prevent the fungus
from infecting the feet. Also helpful is daily use of a
quality foot powder.
Tips
-
Avoid
walking barefoot; use shower shoes.
-
Reduce
perspiration by using talcum powder.
-
Wear light
and airy shoes.
-
Wear socks
that keep your feet dry, and change them frequently if you
perspire heavily.
Treatment
Fungicidal and fungistatic chemicals, used for
athlete's foot treatment, frequently fail to contact the
fungi in the horny layers of the skin. Topical or oral
antifungal drugs are prescribed with growing frequency.
In mild cases of the infection it is important to keep the
feet dry by dusting foot powder in shoes and hose. The
feet should be bathed frequently and all areas around the
toes dried thoroughly.
Consult
Your Podiatrist
If an apparent fungus condition does not respond to
proper foot hygiene and self care, and there is no
improvement within two weeks, consult your podiatrist. The
podiatrist will determine if a fungus is the cause of the
problem. If it is, a specific treatment plan, including
the prescription of antifungal medication, applied
topically or taken by mouth, will usually be suggested.
Such a treatment appears to provide better resolution of
the problem, when the patient observes the course of
treatment prescribed by the podiatrist; if it's shortened,
failure of the treatment is common.
If the infection is caused by bacteria, antibiotics, such
as penicillin, that are effective against a broad spectrum
of bacteria may be prescribed.
Your podiatric physician/surgeon has been trained
specifically and extensively in the diagnosis and
treatment of all manners of foot conditions. This training
encompasses all of the intricately related systems and
structures of the foot and lower leg including
neurological, circulatory, skin, and the musculoskeletal
system, which includes bones, joints, ligaments, tendons,
muscles, and nerves. |
Athlete's foot is a skin disease caused by a fungus,
usually occurring between the toes.
