What is Athlete’s Foot?

Athlete’s foot is a form of skin infection that usually affects the feet but may spread to other parts of the body including hands and back.

The infection is not very serious but gives a severe discomfort due to itching, burning sensation on skin.  The skin may appear cracked and scaly. Also, there may be frequent peeling of the skin. In rare conditions, the infected person suffers from pain and bleeding. Sometimes, the patient is completely unaware of them having athlete’s foot. 70% of the global population suffers from this infection at some point of their life.

It is caused by tinea fungi, Trichophyton. This fungus is found in moist and damp areas. Gyms, swimming polls, locker rooms, and nail saloons are common place where this fungus thrives.

There are three common types of athlete’s foot. First one is called “moccasin”. This occurs as sores of the feet. The second type occurs between the toes and are called “interdigital” and the third one are blistering type.

The diagnosis of athlete’s foot can be done by visual inspection by a professional medical practitioner (dermatologist) or a pharmacist.

In case of any doubt KOH solution test is quite a help. But this test may be negative if anti-fungal treatment for the infection has already been started.

Sometimes, non-fungal factors are responsible for athlete’s foot. For this, the Wood’s lamp test is used to detect the infection.

The infection can be prevented by maintaining good hygiene habits. Since it is a communicable disease, it is important to carry your own towels in gym and swimming polls. Most importantly, never use footwear of a person you may doubt is having this infection. You must keep your feet skin and never let dirt accumulate in the nails. You must never walk barefoot in moist areas.

Athlete’s foot usually occurs in feet because fete tend to remain moist due to sweat. If left untreated it may even spread to groin.