Symtoms
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.
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Possible Causes
Athlete's foot is a skin disease caused by a fungus usually occurring
between the toes. The fungus most commonly attacks the feet because
shoes create a warm, dark, and humid environment which encourages
fungus growth.
The warmth and dampness of areas around swimming pools, showers,
and locker rooms, are also breeding grounds for fungi. Because
the infection was common among athletes who used these facilities
frequently, the term athlete's foot became popular Not all fungus
conditions are athlete's foot.
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Treament
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 socks.
The feet should be bathed frequently and all areas around the
toes dried thoroughly. 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. A specific treatment plan, including the prescription
of antifungal medication, applied topically or taken orally, 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.
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