We have all heard the term "Athlete's Foot" and all worried about walking around a gym bathroom without shoes on, but do you really know what it is? How you get it or how to treat it? First off athlete's foot is a fungus of the skin, most commonly it is the Trichophyton fungus. Fungi in general thrive in warm moist places. This means you can get a fungus on your body anywhere that is covered, warm and sweaty, such as: the scalp, underarms, groin, nail beds and feet.
It is said that almost 65% of all people sometime in their life will get athlete's foot. The medical term for athlete's foot is Tinea Pedis, meaning fungus of the feet. Testing over the years has shown that this fungus can be found in many places:
- Locker room floors
- Shower stalls
- Around swimming pools
- In shoes
- In socks
- Gym floors
Athlete's foot is contagious so remember that when you are traipsing around barefoot anywhere or decide to wear a friends shoes. But just so you are aware, it is not always contagious. Some people seem to carry a higher immunity to the fungus than others. No one really knows the reason for this, but ten people can walk through the same fungi infected and floor and only 5 will get the fungus. For me it is better to be safe than sorry.
So you think you might have athlete's food? You may be wondering what it looks like and the symptoms that you would feel. Some people can have the fungus and have no symptoms at all, therefore not even knowing they have it. (So be careful for you can get it from them and have all the symptoms).
The signs and symptoms of athlete's foot
- Itching
- Burning
- Stinging
- Peeling skin in the toe webs
- Flaking skin
- Skin will crack
- Rash on the sole of the feet
- Pain
- Bleeding
The three types of athlete's feet
- Moccasin - Soles of feet
- Interdigital- - Between the toes
- Inflammatory - Blistering
Diagnosing athlete's foot
It will not hurt you if you find your feet are moist and itching with pain to go to the local drugstore and try an over the counter anti fungal. If it cures it all is good. If it does not then you may need to go to your doctor. General Practitioner can handle this problem or if you have a Dermatologist or Podiatrist you can go there. They will examine your feet, ask a bunch of questions and then most likely take a small scrapping of skin from the infected area. This will not hurt!
He will give it to the laboratory and they will perform a simple test. The test is called a KOH and what they do is add a few drops of potassium chloride to the skin and look at it under the microscope. It is a quick and easy test and you should have the results in ten minutes. The fungus binds with the preparation liquid and is easily seen and diagnosed.
Treatment for Athlete's Foot
Prevention-Yup sorry folks, but prevention is the best medicine.
- Keep your feet dry and clean.
- Do not wander around barefoot on places that you know can contain the fungi.
- Wear shoes that are made of breathable material like leather
- Wear socks made of cotton that help keep your feet dry
- Avoid prolonged moist environments
- Take off your shoes and socks and let your feet air breath
- Avoid contact with people known to be infected
- Spray your shoes on a weekly basis with anti fungal powder
Salt water- If the case is not raging out of control and burning your feet up so you can not walk, then try one teaspoon of salt per cup of warm water for five to ten minutes twice a day. The salt will kill the fungus and help decrease the sweating as it is a drying agent. Make sure to dry your feet well before putting socks and or shoes on.
Powders- Medicated powders with tolnaftate or miconazole will help keep the fungi at bay.
Liquid Drying Solutions-
- Burrow's solution
- Domeboro's solution
- Dilute white vinegar (one part white vinegar to four parts water) twice a day for ten minutes
Antifungal creams
- Miconazole
- Clotrimazole
- Lamisil
Any treatment that you use to take care of Athlete's foot should be used for a least one week after the symptoms have cleared. It can take weeks to get rid of this fungus. For the most up to date product be sure to ask your pharmacist. They are a dearth of information if you just ask.
If you have a raging and resistant fungus of the feet you may need to see you doctor and get a prescription. Advanced cases can include a three week course of oral antifungal pills. These pills can be very hard on the liver and you may need to have pre liver tests done and to be monitored while taking the pills.
A word to wise for some people do not know this: Itching creams can worsen the problem as they give the area the wet and moist environment it needs to keep growing the fungi. So remember topical steroids do not help!
Most cases of athlete's foot can be managed and cared for at home and with home remedies or over the counter products. However, if you have a debilitating and chronic disease such as diabetes, cancer or Aids or other immune problems then you should seek medical help.
