Athlete's Foot | PhysicanOne Urgent Care (2024)

FAQs

What conditions can be mistaken for athlete's foot? ›

What can be mistaken for athlete's foot? Skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema that cause a red, itchy, scaly rash may be mistaken for athlete's foot.

If you think you or your child may have athlete's foot, seek medical attention at your local urgent care clinic as soon as possible.

In severe cases of athlete's foot, you may develop fluid-filled blisters or open sores. Blisters often appear on the bottoms of your feet, but they may develop anywhere on your feet. Open sores often appear between your toes, but they may appear on the bottoms of your feet. Your feet may also smell bad.

you're in a lot of discomfort. your foot or leg is hot, painful and red (the redness may be less noticeable on brown or black skin) – this could be a more serious infection. the infection spreads to other parts of your body such as your hands.

Pitted keratolysis occurs as a result of a bacterial infection that causes smelly and itchy feet. Athlete's foot is a contagious fungal infection that causes an itchy rash on your feet. Pitted keratolysis is a bacterial infection that can cause your feet to smell bad.

Eczema on the feet and athlete's foot can both cause itching and skin inflammation. However, eczema is typically more widespread and affects larger joints, whereas Athlete's foot is often localized to the toes. Despite their similar symptoms, the two conditions are unrelated.

If athlete's foot does not get better in 2 to 4 weeks with self-care, or frequently returns, see your provider. Your provider may prescribe: Antifungal medicines to take by mouth. Antibiotics to treat bacterial infections that occur from scratching.

Although athlete's foot doesn't cause any serious problems in people who are otherwise healthy, it normally doesn't go away on its own. If left untreated, it can spread to a nail and cause a fungal nail infection. The infection can spread to other areas of skin, such as the hands, but that rarely happens.

If your athlete's foot doesn't respond to nonprescription products and self-care, you may need to see a doctor to get a prescription-strength cream or ointment, such as clotrimazole (Lotrisone), econazole (Ecoza, Spectazole) or ciclopirox (Loprox, Penlac).

If you have an immune system disorder or are HIV positive, you're also at risk for complications from athlete's foot. The fungus can break down your skin, causing sores, ulcers, and cellulitis. The infection from untreated cellulitis can travel to your lymph nodes and cause life-threatening conditions such as sepsis.

What are the stages of athlete's foot? ›

The early signs of athlete's foot are patches or fissures (deep breaks or slits), especially between the toes. As the infection progresses, the skin may turn red, become itchy, and appear moist. Small blisters may spread out across the foot, breaking to expose raw fissures that are painful and may swell.

If athlete's foot does not respond to treatment or if the symptoms are severe, it is necessary to see a physician. The physician may give a stronger antifungal prescription or suggest extra diagnostic procedures to rule out other conditions.

For optimal results, it's best to choose an FDA-approved athlete's foot treatment. Hydrogen peroxide is known for its antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal applications. However, there are no studies that show evidence of its effectiveness against athlete's foot.

Like hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol can help kill off the fungus that's on the surface level of the skin. You can apply it directly to the affected area or soak your feet in a footbath of 70 percent rubbing alcohol and 30 percent water for 30 minutes.

Most cases of athlete's foot can be cured with over-the-counter antifungal products and basic good hygiene. Athlete's foot is caused by a fungal infection, so the way to get rid of it is to stop the fungus from growing.

Although athlete's foot in itself may not be dangerous, it raises your risk for a staph infection. Once staph enters your bloodstream through cracks or wounds in your feet, it can spread throughout your body.

Miconazole is used to treat skin infections such as athlete's foot, jock itch, ringworm, and other fungal skin infections (candidiasis).

Dermatophytes are anthropophilic, meaning these parasitic fungi prefer human hosts. Athlete's foot is most commonly caused by the molds known as Trichophyton rubrum and T. mentagrophytes, but may also be caused by Epidermophyton floccosum.

Athlete's foot is typically characterized by skin fissures or scales that can be red and itchy. Tinea pedis is spread through contact with infected skin scales or contact with fungi in damp areas (for example, showers, locker rooms, swimming pools) ¹. Tinea pedis can be a chronic infection that recurs frequently ².

Athlete's foot is highly contagious. Many people catch it by walking barefoot in public areas such as swimming pools, locker rooms, and showers. These environments are warm and moist making them the perfect breeding ground for fungi.

What does contact dermatitis look like on feet? ›

If you experience contact dermatitis on your feet, symptoms may include redness, itchiness, a patchy or scaly rash, dry and cracked skin, bumps and blisters, swelling, burning, and/or tenderness.

The best treatment for athlete's foot is the proper cleanliness protocol. Clean shoes and always wearing clean cotton socks are very important. Foot soaks with anything that kills the fungus (diluted bleach, vinegar, iodine, alcohol, etc.) and topical antifungals applied to the affected areas twice a day.

Athlete's foot treatment can take anywhere from one to four weeks. You should notice improvements within the first few days of treatment. If the symptoms don't show any improvement within a week, you should consult your healthcare provider to determine the best method of treatment.

If your skin infection does not improve within 1 week for jock itch or ringworm of the body, and 2 weeks for athlete's foot, or if it becomes worse, check with your doctor. Using too much of this medicine or using it for a long time may increase your risk of having adrenal gland problems.

Left untreated, athlete's foot can affect the toenails — which may thicken, become discolored or crumble — and even spread to your hands or groin. Additionally, athlete's foot can make you more vulnerable to bacterial infections, such as cellulitis.

Myth 7: Athlete's foot only affects the feet.

Athlete's foot can spread if you scratch the itch and then touch other parts of your body, including your groin (jock itch) and the skin under your arms. It can also spread to other parts of your body via contaminated sheets or clothing.

Sweaty shoes and socks add to the dampness and can make the infection worse. Sharing towels, sheets, clothing, or shoes with someone who has athlete's foot also can spread the infection.

Treatment of athlete's foot infection is a comparatively cheap treatment. The medications do not incur high expenditure. Over-the-counter creams, ointments, powders or sprays for athlete's foot cost from Rs. 300- Rs 800.

Most mild cases of athlete's foot clear up within 2 weeks. But treatment can go for several weeks or longer if the infection is more serious or affects the toenails.

In a large double-blind multicenter study of all forms of tinea pedis, De Keyser et al⁴ compared 2 weeks of terbinafine at 250 mg/day to 2 weeks of itraconazole at 100 mg/day. After 8 weeks they found terbinafine superior to itraconazole for clinical cure (94.1% vs 72.4%).

What happens if you have foot fungus for too long? ›

If toenail fungus is left untreated, it can spread to the surrounding skin on the foot, causing another condition known as athlete's foot. An athlete's foot is a condition resulting in itchy, red, and cracked skin, which can become very uncomfortable.

Louis. Dr. Collins said he has diagnosed community-associated MRSA infections in patients with athlete's foot and even a six-year-old who stubbed his toe. Brandi Johnson, DPM, AACFAS, has treated numerous patients for community-associated MRSA.

An allergic response.

An outbreak of athlete's foot can cause protein to enter the bloodstream, causing an allergic reaction that can lead to further itching or blisters on your feet and toes.

Dermatologists are medical doctors who treat skin problems. Because athlete's foot is a skin problem, it can be treated by dermatologists. Dermatologists can also treat numerous other skin conditions and perform surgery if necessary.

Apply Lotrimin AF to the Infected Area Three Times a Day

If you can, let it air dry for 15 minutes before putting on your socks and shoes, Dr. Scanlon says.

The best way to disinfect shoes from athlete's foot is to use a UV shoe sanitizer. However, you can also use hydrogen peroxide and baking soda to get rid of fungus from athlete's foot. Vinegar is also effective at slowing down fungal growth in shoes.

You can even use Epsom salt baths to relieve a number of foot complaints and conditions, including: Athlete's Foot: While Epsom salts don't kill the fungus that causes athlete's foot, it can help draw the moisture out. This makes the environment much less inviting for fungus.

Having wet feet and wearing socks with sweaty, damp feet, especially for prolonged time periods, increases your risk of contracting athlete's foot. You should make sure to thoroughly dry your feet before putting on socks and shoes and to keep your feet dry.

Canesten^® Hydrocortisone Athlete's Foot 1% w/w Cream can be used to treat athlete's foot and fungal sweat rash (Candidal Intertrigo) when there are additional symptoms of inflammation which require rapid relief (like swelling, redness and itching).

Mold and mildew can build up quickly in the moist environment of a shower stall. To kill them without having to breathe in toxic bleach fumes, spray with undiluted 3 percent hydrogen peroxide and allow it to sit for 30 minutes.

What disinfectant kills athlete's foot? ›

Clorox® disinfectant cleaner and sanitizer providing superior coverage to disinfect and sanitize hard and soft surfaces thoroughly. killing 40 pathogens including MRSA, Staph, Herpes, HIV, Athlete's Foot Fungus and more.

As vinegar has antifungal properties, soaking the feet daily in a vinegar foot bath could help fight off fungal infections, such as athlete's foot. However, there is currently no reliable evidence to suggest that any home remedies, including vinegar, are useful in the treatment of athlete's foot.

To make a foot soak, mix about a half cup of baking soda in a large bucket or basin of warm water. Soak feet for 15 to 20 minutes, twice a day. When done, dry the feet thoroughly but do not rinse.

Exfoliate your feet regularly. This helps to remove the excess dead skin and callus on your feet which can build up and encourage the growth of this moisture loving problem. This can be done with either a foot exfoliating scrub cream, or a foot scrubber brush and should be done gently on a weekly basis.

If you have a fungal (i.e. Athlete's foot or fungal toenails), a bacterial (which causes smelly feet), or viral (i.e. warts) infection, try to reschedule your appointment. If you cannot, let one of the pedicurists know so that they can take appropriate steps to protect other people's feet.

Jock itch, athlete's foot, and ringworm are all types of fungal skin infections known collectively as tinea. They're caused by fungi called dermatophytes that live on skin, hair, and nails and thrive in warm, moist areas.

It's easy to confuse psoriasis with athlete's foot, a common foot fungal infection that is very contagious. Athlete's foot most often appears between the toes or under the nails, while psoriasis is found on the soles. While athlete's foot is itchy, psoriasis on the foot can be painful and sore.

Fungal skin infections are also known as tinea infections. When fungus grows on the feet, it is called athlete's foot (or tinea pedis). It got this name because it affects people whose feet tend to be damp and sweaty, which is often the case with athletes. But anyone can get this infection.

Related Conditions and Causes of Athlete's Foot

Athlete's foot is closely related to other fungal infections, including ringworm and jock itch. Ringworm of the body (also called tinea corporis) doesn't come from a worm.

What are the four types of athlete's foot? ›

If left untreated, it can spread to a nail and cause a fungal nail infection. The infection can spread to other areas of skin, such as the hands, but that rarely happens. Very rarely, and only in severe cases of athlete's foot, it can also lead to a bacterial infection.

Hydrogen peroxide can effectively kill the fungus on the surface level of the foot, as well as any surface bacteria that could cause an infection. Pour hydrogen peroxide directly onto the affected area. Note that it may sting, and it should bubble, especially if you have open wounds.

Trench foot, or immersion foot syndrome, is a condition that can occur when your feet are cold and wet for a long period of time. It often happens when you have to wear wet socks and shoes or boots for days at a time. Prolonged exposure to damp, cold and sometimes unsanitary conditions can lead to the disease.

Types of Athlete's Foot

Also known as an interdigital infection, the skin becomes red (inflamed), rash-like, scaly or peeling and may give off a smelly discharge. In severe instances, the skin may turn green in colour.

Causes of athlete's foot

Fungi thrive in damp, dark, and warm places, especially locker rooms, showers, and areas around swimming pools. Wearing shoes while exercising creates a dark, warm, and moist place that is ideal for fungal growth.

A variety of home remedies for athlete's foot include hydrogen peroxide, tea tree oil, and vinegar-and-water athlete's foot soaks.

Athlete's foot is an infection of the feet caused by fungus. The medical term is tinea pedis or ringworm of the foot.