Monday, September 25, 2006
Do You Have Athlete's Foot?
Athlete's foot is a skin disease caused by a fungus infection on the skin of your feet. This infection usually occurs between your toes. All fungus thrives in dark, warm, and humid environments. The term "athlete's foot," is common because most athletes hang around places where it is warm and damp. Such warm and damp places include: locker rooms, areas surrounding swimming pools, and showers rooms. Shoes stored in such places get the fungus in them and then transferred it to your feet. Any surface where the infection has been contacted is a potential place to get athlete's foot. Keep in mind that you do not have to be an athlete to get athlete's foot. Anyone who is near a place that contains suitable conditions for fungus growth, such as your bedroom closet, can get it.
There are many symptoms of athlete's foot. Such symptoms include: itching sensations, scaling (a thickening of your foot soles due to warped skin), inflammation (swelling) of the feet, dry skin on feet surfaces, and the formation of blisters. When the blisters break, the skin cracks. This causes open wounds on the feet that swell and are extremely painful. Scratching your feet's surface often spreads the fungus infection to other parts of your feet. In addition to the soles of your feet and around the toenails, athlete's foot can spread to other parts of the body. People, who scratch their feet and then touch their armpits, groin, or anywhere else, can spread it. The infection can then be spread further from clothing or bed sheets.
Preventing athlete's foot is not easy, because there are so many ways to contract it. Tips to prevent it include: avoid walking barefoot, use talcum powder to reduce sweating, wear light shoes that can breath, use shower shoes, wear socks that keep your feet dry, dry your feet well when getting out of the shower, change shoes and socks more frequently if you sweat a lot, and wash your feet with soapy water daily. If you do get athlete's foot, use fungus killing products, such as athlete's foot sprays (although, sprays usually do not penetrate rough skin) and oral medications, such as antifungal drugs. Use powder and wash and dry your feet as well as possible. If the infection persists even with good foot hygiene, consult a podiatrist (a foot doctor) for further treatment.
There are many symptoms of athlete's foot. Such symptoms include: itching sensations, scaling (a thickening of your foot soles due to warped skin), inflammation (swelling) of the feet, dry skin on feet surfaces, and the formation of blisters. When the blisters break, the skin cracks. This causes open wounds on the feet that swell and are extremely painful. Scratching your feet's surface often spreads the fungus infection to other parts of your feet. In addition to the soles of your feet and around the toenails, athlete's foot can spread to other parts of the body. People, who scratch their feet and then touch their armpits, groin, or anywhere else, can spread it. The infection can then be spread further from clothing or bed sheets.
Preventing athlete's foot is not easy, because there are so many ways to contract it. Tips to prevent it include: avoid walking barefoot, use talcum powder to reduce sweating, wear light shoes that can breath, use shower shoes, wear socks that keep your feet dry, dry your feet well when getting out of the shower, change shoes and socks more frequently if you sweat a lot, and wash your feet with soapy water daily. If you do get athlete's foot, use fungus killing products, such as athlete's foot sprays (although, sprays usually do not penetrate rough skin) and oral medications, such as antifungal drugs. Use powder and wash and dry your feet as well as possible. If the infection persists even with good foot hygiene, consult a podiatrist (a foot doctor) for further treatment.
