Causes, Symptoms And Treatments For Athlete’s Foot - By: John Callum

Athlete’s Foot contrary to its name is a skin condition that can affect both athletes and non athletes alike. It is a common dermatitis of the webs of the toes and soles of the feet and if not treated can spread to the other body regions such as the palm and groin. The disease is caused by a fungus and is contagious by nature. In this article, we enlist the causes, symptoms and treatments that are available for the athlete’s foot condition.

The medical acronym of athlete’s foot is tinea pedis and it can be caused by a variety of fungi. The fungus usually can’t infect the skin but in moist and warm conditions, they thrive. No wonder then that most athlete foot conditions are contracted from places such as gyms and swimming pools, forests, etc. Tropical climates, damp shoes and socks or even contact with contaminated surfaces such as towels and floors can result in Athlete’s Foot.

The symptoms of Athlete’s Foot can be redness, itching, scaling and flaking of the skin that has been affected. More often than not it is the skin between the toes that is affected the most. The skin may frequently peel and in particularly severe cases they may be cracking, pain and bleeding as well. The person may find it difficult to put on shoes or sandals for long periods of time and will constantly also suffer from the itchiness problem.

Most Athlete Foot treatments fade away with home treatment but in certain cases, medical intervention may be required. Here are some of the things that you need to do in case you fall victim to Athlete’s Foot. Keep the infected area clean and dry which will prevent multiplication of the fungus. Buy leather shoes which allow air into the shoes. Use medicinal powders to keep your feet dry. You could also use antifungal creams and washes to treat the problem.

However the mistake that many people make is to stop treatment as soon as the symptoms fade out. Many a time, a tiny percentage of bacteria survives the medication and begin to multiply and with time, the person once again gets a recurrence of the disease. Some people even use antibiotics to treat the problem but we wouldn’t advise it as pills do pose side effect risks.

However if the home treatments fail to work and if you experienced increase redness or swelling in the affected region, then seek a dermatologist. Also you need to take steps so as to prevent the problem from reoccurring. Routinely disinfect your old shoes or socks and don’t stay in damp and moist places for too long. Make sure that family members with Athlete’s Foot are treated so as to prevent cross infection.

About the Author

The author says that he used Lamisil to treat his Athlete’s Foot condition. He says that Lamisil once penetrates the skin and requires just one single application to stop Athlete’s Foot.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/John-Callum/152251

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