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Why does athlete's foot develop?

Athlete's foot is a fungus infection of the skin of the feet. It is mostly seen in adolescent and older males. Wearing runners without socks may increase the humidity in the shoes and increase your risk of athlete's foot.

Symptoms of athlete's foot include scaling and cracking of your skin, especially between your toes and on the sides of your feet. Your feet may be odorous. You may also notice small water blisters between your toes. It may spread to your hands. Athlete's foot is infectious as long as you have it on your skin.

You can catch athlete's foot by direct and indirect contact. It can be transmitted in shower stalls, on locker room floors or from shared towels or shoes.

Athlete's foot can be cured using fungicide sprays which can be purchased without a prescription at a pharmacy. If you notice no improvement after one week, see a health care practitioner. You may require oral prescription medicine. Bathe your feet with soap and water. Dry well between your toes. Use clean, cotton socks everyday. If someone in your home has athlete's foot wash all towels, contaminated floors and shower stalls well with hot, soapy water. The infected person should not share towels.

What does athlete's foot look like?

Athlete's foot may affect different people in different ways. In some, the skin between the toes (especially the last two toes) peels, cracks and scales. In others, there is redness, scaling and even blisters on the soles and along the sides of the feet. These skin changes may be accompanied by itching.

Toenail infections can also occur and can be very stubborn to treat. Toenail infections result in scaling, crumbling and thickening of the nails and even nail loss.

Not all rashes on the feet are athlete's foot. Before treating a foot rash yourself, check with your dermatologist, who can diagnose the condition and prescribe the correct medication. Using over-the-counter preparations on a rash that is not athlete's foot may make your condition worse. If athlete's foot isn't treated, it can result in skin blisters and cracks that can lead to bacterial infections.

Athlete's foot
(tinea pedis)

Athlete's foot (tinea pedis)