Athlete's foot a skin disease and it is a fungal infection usually between the toesAthlete foot is also called tinea pedis. The condition easily spreads in public places such as communal showers, locker rooms and fitness centers.Although athlete's foot occurs mostly among teen and young adult guys, kids and women can get it, too. People with sweaty or damp feet are at risk. Walking barefoot where others also walk barefoot is one way the fungus can get on your feet in the first place. Fungus can be spread from person to person by contact with these objects. However, without proper growing conditions (a warm, moist environment), the fungus will not infect the skin. Up to 70% of the population will have athletes foot at some time during their lives. That's why your mom or dad might say to wear your sandals when you're showering in a public shower.
Several fungus varieties cause athlete's foot, and sometimes more than one is present at the same time. The condition may be complicated by a secondary infection with bacteria which take advantage of the damaged skin. Symptoms of Athlete foot include itching and burning feet. The skin frequently peels and, in particularly severe cases, there may be some cracking, pain and bleeding as well.Bacteria fungus can also invade the skin. These bacteria can cause a bad smell. Bacterial infection of the skin and resulting inflammation is known as cellulitis. This is especially likely to occur in the elderly.
Causes of Athlete's Foot
Athlete's foot is a skin fungal infection. The most common fungi causing tinea pedis are Trichophyton rubrum and T. mentagrophytes. Fungal infections of the skin are called dermatophytosis. Dermatophytes may be spread from other humans (anthropophilic), animals (zoophilic) or may come from the soil (geophilic). Anthropophillic dermatophytes are restricted to human hosts and produce a mild, chronic inflammation. Zoophilic organisms are found primarily in animals and cause marked inflammatory reactions in humans.
Symptoms of Athlete's Foot
1.Dry skin.
2.Itching.
3.Scaling.
4.Inflammation.
5.Blisters.
6.Cracking.
Treatment of Athlete's Foot
Fungus thrives in a moist warm environment keeping the feet dry and cool can cure the infection. It is recommended to wear open sandals, or even better barefoot as much as possible. It is important to keep your feet clean and dry. Wear clean absorbent socks made of natural fibers, such as cotton, and change them during the day. Spray your shoes with a disinfectant and set them in out in the sun to help kill germs and Don't share towels or footwear. Many medications are available including miconazole and clotrimazole.
Best Athletes Foot Treatment
Here's the deal, if you have never been diagnosed with a case of athlete's foot and if you think you might have it now, then you simply must see your health care provider in order to a definitive diagnosis. This is critically important so that proper treatment can begin.
So, once you've made it to your doctor, a thorough examination of your foot will reveal the truth. Sometimes your doctor can make the diagnosis by simply looking at the infected skin and other times he or she may elect to take a tiny skin sample to send off to the lab for study. The lab study will show if there are bothersome fungal cells which are the cause of athlete's foot present on the sample.
If you have a definitive diagnosis of athlete's foot, then it is on to the treatment plan. Often your doctor may decide that the best treatment for you is simply the over the counter anti-fungal creams and sprays. Bottom line is still, just follow the plan and do so consistently.
The good news is that most cases of athlete's foot are mild and usually clear up in a couple of weeks. The bad news is that some cases of athlete's foot re-occur over and over again. Some sufferers even report using the over the counter sprays even after the episode clears up in hopes of preventing a re-occurrence.
Some times your case of athlete's foot is so serious that it takes more than over the counter medication, it takes prescription strength anti-fungal medication. If this is the case, don't fret, just follow the plan and do not skip any doses.
Over the counter creams and sprays often leave you wanting more treatment for your athlete's foot and if your infection is serious enough, you need more. At times like this your doctor may prescribe oral anti-fungal medications along with prescription strength topical medications that you will apply directly to your foot. This combination is often required to beat back the tougher infections of athlete's foot.
Prescription strength athlete's foot treatment seems to give you a better overall response to the treatment. But if you take a short cut and do not use the medicine as prescribed or do not use it for the duration ordered then you risk the return of your athlete's foot with a vengeance.
If you are sure that you have athlete's foot and you have had it before, then it is certainly alright to treat it at home with over the counter anti-fungal medications. But this is only acceptable if you have had a previous definitive diagnosis and you know what you are looking for.
If you have been battling the burn and itch of athlete's foot for two weeks or more without any resolution, then even if you have had athlete's foot before, you simply must see your health care provider. You doctor will be able to tell if you have something more than just your garden variety athlete's foot going on.
Proper athlete's foot treatment can help you to regain control of your feet again. Adequate and appropriate treatment can stop the itching and burning and can put a smile back on your face!
Both Juliet Cohen & Tammy Foster are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Juliet Cohen has sinced written about articles on various topics from Skin Cream, Alternative Medicine and Abdominal. Juliet Cohen writes for . She also writes articles for. Juliet Cohen's top article generates over 3350000 views. to your Favourites.
Tammy Foster has sinced written about articles on various topics from Health, Alternative Medicine and Digital Camera. For more important information on visit sore-foot-remedies.com where you will find advice on foot pain causes such as. Tammy Foster's top article generates over 22200 views. to your Favourites.
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