How does a person get athlete's foot? (2023)

How does a person get athlete's foot?

Damp socks and shoes and warm, humid conditions favor the organisms' growth. Athlete's foot is contagious and can spread through contact with an infected person or from contact with contaminated surfaces, such as towels, floors and shoes.

It's highly contagious and can spread easily. This is why athletes can easily pick it up in locker rooms, communal showers, or by wearing sweaty socks or shoes. But even if you don't frequent the locker room at your local gym, there are still plenty of ways for this fungus to thrive.

Athlete's foot occurs when the tinea fungus grows on the feet. You can catch the fungus through direct contact with an infected person, or by touching surfaces contaminated with the fungus. The fungus thrives in warm, moist environments. It's commonly found in showers, on locker room floors, and around swimming pools.

Athlete's foot is very common. It is estimated that 3 to 15% of the population are affected. Men and older people are more likely to get it.

An effective antifungal medication is the best treatment for your condition. Athlete's foot treatments are available over the counter from your pharmacy, in your supermarket or online. Topical treatments are easy to apply and target the main types of fungi that cause athlete's foot.

Since the tinea fungus is a type of yeast, it's wise to limit or eliminate the amount of sugar you eat. Avoid alcohol, baked goods, candy, dried fruit, and fruit juice. According to research conducted by the University of Minnesota Medical School, the fungus responsible for athlete's foot can suppress immune response.

Sharing towels, sheets, clothing, or shoes with someone who has athlete's foot also can spread the infection.

The fungus can even contaminate bed sheets and spread to other body parts through rubbing and scratching. To control the spread of infection, keep bathroom surfaces clean and don't share towels The best way to prevent athlete's foot is by wearing sandals or shower shoes when walking around a locker room or pool.

Athlete's foot is unlikely to get better on its own, but you can buy antifungal medicines for it from a pharmacy. They usually take a few weeks to work. Athlete's foot treatments are available as: creams.

Yes. Hydrogen peroxide kills the fungus that causes athlete's foot. It can also kill bacteria that live on the surface of the skin and can worsen athlete's foot or cause additional infections. Use hydrogen peroxide on athlete's foot two times per day until the infection is gone.

Does vinegar help cure athlete's foot?

For athlete's foot

Athlete's foot often burns and itches. For mild forms of this condition, a vinegar soak might work well. The antifungal properties also make vinegar soaks a good idea for people who have toenail fungus. Soak your feet for 10 to 15 minutes daily in a vinegar bath until the infection subsides.

Tea Tree Oil

Because it can kill some types of bacteria and fungus, people have used it as a home remedy for many years. When rubbed into the skin twice a day, tea tree oil can reduce the itching, scaling, swelling, and burning of athlete's foot.

Then the skin on your sole or heel may become thick and crack. In severe cases, the toenails get infected. Vesicular infection usually starts with a sudden outbreak of fluid-filled blisters. The blisters are usually on the sole but can appear anywhere on your foot.

You can get athlete's foot when you often wear damp shoes and socks. This warm, humid environment encourages this fungus to grow. Most often athlete's foot is spread when you come in contact with someone (or something) that's been contaminated by the athlete's foot fungus.

Your health care provider may prescribe an antifungal cream, such as efinaconazole (Jublia) and tavaborole (Kerydin). You rub this product into your infected nails after soaking. These creams may work better if you first thin the nails.

Diabetics often develop athlete's foot. A diabetic person has a higher concentration of blood sugar, which makes their perspiration sweeter. This encourages the growth of fungus, leading to athlete's foot. Neuropathy is a severe complication of diabetes.

CARD9 deficiency is a genetic immune disorder characterized by susceptibility to fungal infections like candidiasis, which is caused by the yeast fungus Candida.

Sugar feeds any sort of yeasty fungus, and that's what athlete's foot is. So if you cut out the sugar, you'll cut out one bit of sustenance to the gunk growing between your toes.

Athlete's foot spreads either through contact with fungi or by contact with infected skin. Perpetually damp areas like locker rooms, bathroom floors, showers, and swimming pools are prime breeding grounds for the fungi. They can also live in socks, shoes, and towels, all of which have a tendency to remain moist.

Can athlete's foot spread in laundry?

To prevent or mitigate the spread of the fungal infection, an individual might consider being particularly careful with how they handle their laundry. This is because spores can often spread from clothes to clothes.

And once these infections are in the shower they make themselves right at home. “The organisms then continue to live in the warm, moist, dark environment,” said McKenzie. “Then you pick them up when you shower.” Athlete's foot is a common infection picked up from the shower floor.

A simple and easy fix at home is to “sanitize shower bases with a potential disinfectant like bleach. It kills spores of fungi,” Tierno says. Try a diluted bleach solution to kill off any potential threats.

Make sure that any clothing, socks, towels or bedding that have been exposed to the infected person are washed separately in hot water (at least 140 degrees F). If water isn't hot enough it won't be able to kill the fungus. For any white clothing or materials, you can also use bleach with hot water.

After washing and drying your feet, apply an antifungal product. The antifungal terbinafine (Lamisil AT) has been shown to be very effective. Another option is clotrimazole (Lotrimin AF). You may need to experiment to find the product and formulation — ointment, gel, cream, lotion, powder or spray — that work for you.

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.

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.

Here's what doctor Green suggests: "You can take wadded up newspaper or paper towels and spray them down with Lysol and stuff them in the shoes and just leave them there overnight. That'll kill the fungus in there.

Soak Your Feet in Rubbing Alcohol and Water

Rubbing alcohol also has the potential to kill fungus, even the type that causes athlete's foot. It is not recommended to directly apply alcohol to the affected area because it will burn, but you can soak your feet in a water bath with alcohol.

How long does it take for hydrogen peroxide to get rid of fungus?

Kill mold and mildew

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. Rinse. The peroxide will kill the mold and mildew, but you may still need to remove the stains they left behind.

The Salt Solution

The fungus that causes athlete's foot can't thrive in saline (a.k.a. salty) solutions, so dissolve about a 1/3 cup salt in a gallon of warm water, and soak your feet in the water for 10 minutes or so at a time, then dry your feet thoroughly. Repeat daily until the problem disappears.

The essential oils in Listerine are natural antifungals, so may treat mild to moderate cases of toenail fungus and athlete's foot.

Give your feet a good soak in hydrogen peroxide. Before you dunk your feet, remember that hydrogen peroxide can sting when skin is chapped or cracked. Mix a pint of hydrogen peroxide in 1 gallon of warm water. Soak your feet for about 30 minutes.

The fungal infection is called athlete's foot because it's commonly seen in athletes. Athlete's foot isn't serious, but sometimes it's hard to cure. If you have diabetes or a weakened immune system and suspect you have athlete's foot, you should call your doctor right away.

What Are the Signs & Symptoms of Athlete's Foot? Athlete's foot usually causes redness, flakiness, peeling, or cracking of the skin on the feet. It may itch, sting, or burn, or simply feel uncomfortable. It's usually on the soles of the feet, the areas between the toes, and sometimes the toenails.

Athlete's Foot Symptoms

Someone with the condition may experience severe pain from the condition. Patients often report a burning, stinging and itchy sensation. If left untreated, athlete's foot can also cause deep cracks in the skin which can lead to a secondary bacterial infection.

How Long Is Athlete's Foot Contagious? As long as the fungus is still on the skin of the feet, even during treatment, you can still pass it on to others.

Athlete's foot can happen on one or both feet, and there are different types. But with any kind you have, you'll probably see: Itchy, scaly red rash between your toes. Small, red blisters (usually on your soles or between your toes)

Certain conditions, such as eczema and psoriasis, among other things, can also look very much like Athlete's foot. Sometimes, if the skin barrier is compromised, a secondary bacterial infection can occur.

Will athlete's foot go away on its own?

Unfortunately, athlete's foot does not usually heal on its own. If left untreated, large, painful fissures can also develop. These cracks can expose your feet to bacterial infections, which can make healing more complicated.

If you have athlete's foot, it's a good idea to wear socks to bed, especially if you share your bed with another person. This can help prevent transmitting the fungus to others.

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 them. Open sores often appear between your toes, but they may also appear on the bottoms of your feet. Your feet might also smell bad, too.

Diabetics often develop athlete's foot. A diabetic person has a higher concentration of blood sugar, which makes their perspiration sweeter. This encourages the growth of fungus, leading to athlete's foot. Neuropathy is a severe complication of diabetes.

What Are the Signs & Symptoms of Athlete's Foot? Athlete's foot usually causes redness, flakiness, peeling, or cracking of the skin on the feet. It may itch, sting, or burn, or simply feel uncomfortable. It's usually on the soles of the feet, the areas between the toes, and sometimes the toenails.

A simple and easy fix at home is to “sanitize shower bases with a potential disinfectant like bleach. It kills spores of fungi,” Tierno says. Try a diluted bleach solution to kill off any potential threats.

You do not have to throw away your shoes if you have athlete's foot unless they were worn without socks, have dirt in them, or you have another skin reaction to the material or color dyes.

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.