Did you know that over 70% of the population will develop athletes foot during their life? With those kind of odds, the chances are high that you will get it yourself at some point and time. So, what causes athletes foot anyway?

Athletes foot is a form of ringworm that lives on your skin, toenails and hair. The fungus that causes it can easily attach itself on your feet through any kind of a small cut or abrasion. The fungus loves dark, warm, humid and wet areas. That is why locker rooms are notorious for having the fungus. There is virtually no way of preventing it from growing. Even with constant cleaning of all surfaces there is still no guarantee that it won't continue to form.

If you have had athletes foot, have you noticed that your infected foot always seems to itch more after taking off your socks and shoes at the end of the day? This is because your feet have been warm and moist inside your shoes all day. Now that they are uncovered and the air is hitting them, watch out! The itching can become intense. It's easy to scratch them until they are raw.

One form of athletes foot that can be very severe is called Vesicular, or "jungle rot" as it is also known as. It got the name after U.S. soldiers in Vietnam would be out in the hot, humid conditions on a daily basis. They were also constantly walking in water and this would cause sores and blisters on their feet. The blisters would sometimes spread to other areas of their body if they developed an allergic reaction, causing temporary disability. In some severe cases, soldiers would even lose their feet because of it.

The good news to all this is that athletes foot can be treated and healed. Many times this can be accomplished without having to make a trip to the doctors office, although if you have tried to get rid of the fungus and still have not had success, you should definitely see a doctor. Our website has a complete list on how to cure athletes foot.