Jun 29, 2024 | Healthy Living

It’s summer which means it’s time to break free of the confines of the indoors and get moving! For many of us, getting moving includes more trips to the gym and the pool, while others head for the river. Athlete’s foot thrives in warm, moist places, which can include your shoes! Begin this summer with all the information you need to ward off the unhappy experience of this meddlesome fungus before it finds you.

What is Athlete’s Foot?

Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis) usually begins with a fungus that often takes hold between the smaller toes. The fungus passes from one person to another through direct skin contact or when one person comes into contact with skin cells that have flaked off of an infected person. Communal showers like those at gyms are a prime breeding ground for the fungus. Our feet have an abundance of keratin, the protein on which the fungus feeds. Weaknesses of the skin such as sores or cracks serve as open invitations for infection.
Not all athletes’ foot infections look the same, and it’s important to know that while an infection might begin on the feet, it can spread or be shared to another part of the body.

If your feet become infected, you may notice:

• A burning sensation
• Soggy white skin between the toes
• Flaky dry soles of feet
• Blistered skin over the foot with redness that is less noticeable on brown or Black skin.

Warmth and moisture are necessary ingredients for the fungus to multiply and spread. More than 3 million people come down with athlete’s foot every year with infections increasing in the warmer months when heat and humidity soar.

Am I At Risk For Athlete’s Foot?

You may be at increased risk for athlete’s foot if:

• You wear sturdy shoes or boots at work
• Others in your family have it
• You have allergies or eczema
• Have sweaty feet
• Have a weakened immune system
• Deal with circulation problems in the legs
• Run or swim regularly
• Use communal showers
• Are in an older population group or are male

How Can I Prevent Athlete’s Foot?

• The best way to keep your feet free of athlete’s foot is to practice proper hygiene to limit the fungus’ attraction.
• Keep your feet dry
• Wear breathable shoes
• Use antifungal powders
• Avoid communal spaces that are hot and humid such as public showers, pools, and hot tubs. If you can’t avoid them, wear flip-flops.
• Take off your shoes whenever you can
• Don’t share towels, shoes, or socks

What Should I Do If I Get Athlete’s Foot?

The good news about athlete’s foot is that even though it won’t go away on its own, with proper care it is easily managed. Your neighborhood pharmacy is stocked with over-the-counter antifungal creams, sprays, and shoe powders that send fungus packing. Using antifungal topical medications should provide you with significant relief and healing. If home remedies combined with antifungal medications do not ease your symptoms over two weeks or you have recurring infections, you should seek a medical evaluation.

A visit with a medical provider isn’t usually needed, but if you are concerned that your infection isn’t improving despite your best efforts and you think you may need something stronger, stop by AFC Urgent Care Farragut where our compassionate team can help you find relief.

Remember, if you’ve had athlete’s foot once, you can get it again, so be sure to make good foot hygiene a regular part of your daily practice.