Athlete’s Foot
Condition and Causes

Athlete’s foot is an infection affecting the skin and feet mainly in the web spaces.
Athlete’s foot is a common contagious fungal infection of the skin that causes scaling, flaking, and itch of affected areas. Symptoms are caused by fungi such as Epidermophyton floccosum or fungi of the Trichophyton genus such as Trichophyton rubrum or Trichophyton mentagrophytes. This condition is also known as ringworm of the foot. The disease is typically transmitted in moist communal areas where people walk barefoot, such as showers or bathrooms, and requires a warm moist environment, (e.g., the inside of a shoe) to incubate.

Symptoms

Symptoms of athlete’s foot include reddening, peeling, or cracking of the skin generally accompanied by an itching or stinging sensation.
The most common complications of Athlete’s foot are onychomycosis and cellulitis.

Prevention

Wearing breathable footwear or sandals, drying feet thoroughly, and changing socks at regular intervals if feet tend to sweat more.
There are several lifestyle modifications that can be practiced to prevent Athlete’s foot. Effective preventive measures include keeping the feet dry, using socks made of synthetic materials designed to remove moisture, wearing well ventilated footwear, changing socks frequently, and wearing sandals while walking through communal areas such as gym showers and locker rooms. Recurrence of Athlete’s foot can be prevented with the use of antifungal powder on the feet.

Possible Treatment

Application of topical creams/ antifungal dusting powders as advised by the physician.