What is athlete's foot?

The athlete's foot is annoying and irritating, but most of us don't know much more about it than the fact that it is a mushroom and that the athlete understood it. What do you need to know about athlete's foot?

First, the fungus that causes the athlete's foot is a form of ringworm. It blooms in damp, warm environments and infects the top layer of skin - every skin, not just the feet. The assumption that the athlete's foot only occurs on the athlete's feet is wrong because the ringworm can cause infection from the scalp to the nail. (Take a moment and imagine the athlete's scalp. Great, isn't it?)

The athlete's foot or foot ringworm (mainly the foot ringworm) most often affects the strap between the toes, causing itchy flaking and sometimes thickening of the soles of the feet or blisters. Most cases of athlete's foot involve dander, and in the most severe cases, the skin may crack or bleed.

One of the most common forms of ringworm is athlete's foot. It is also one of the most difficult to eliminate and spreads easily. Swimming pools, changing rooms and nail salons can often house colonies of tinea pedis that can be easily transmitted either from the surface of infected areas or from person to person (or from stocking to person).

People with athlete's foot should check other common areas, especially the hands or groin area, as the infection often spreads to other parts of the body. The most effective treatments treat all infected areas at the same time to avoid re-infection of the treated areas.

Although an athlete's foot can be extremely contagious, not everyone is equally susceptible to infection. Some people can share showers for years without passing the infection on, while others can easily take it up by walking through a locker room.

One of the best treatments is to use powders to dry the moisture so the infection can thrive, followed by antifungal creams or sprays. Add to washing sheets and socks frequently with hot water to avoid re-infection of your feet.

Fungal infections

Skin infections with fungi are extremely common in hot countries: athlete's foot, a fungal infection between the toes, is usually infected where people walk barefoot, for example in swimming pools and changing rooms and showers in clubs. It usually starts between the third, fourth, and fifth toes and can be a simple reddening and flaking, but cracks are likely to develop. The skin becomes macerated, whitish and moist, and a clear, slimy liquid seeps out. The condition is very itchy and sometimes spreads to the adjacent skin of the foot. Fewer hands, groin, armpits and other areas are affected. The fungus is resistant and sticks in shoes and socks and can be spread on towels. As soon as the disease occurs, medical attention must be sought, as a correct diagnosis is essential and treatment is not always easy.

A hot and humid climate and wet feet are predisposing factors. Preventive measures are:

- careful drying between the toes - careful cleanliness - application of dust powder between the toes and - wearing slippers in public toilets

Once the disease develops, a special toe towel should be used, it should be sterilized by boiling and separated from other towels. Cotton socks should be worn and cooked after wearing. Shoes and slippers should be treated indoors with formalin solutions. Various fungicidal preparations can be obtained for topical use, but the cream or powder containing tolnaftate (Tinaderm) is probably the best. the cream is used for treatment and the powder must be reserved for prophylactic dusting.

There are many different antifungals, older supplements like Whitfield's ointment and Castellani color are still useful and much can be gained if the proprietary supplements are not included.

"Dhobia itch" is a fungal infection of the groin and a common disease in hot countries: it is most commonly acquired from infected towels and is characterized by brownish or reddish itchy areas with a scaly surface and slightly raised rim. The condition is treated with a fungicide, and the same care as described in the previous paragraphs must be applied with personal towels, underwear, etc. If the fungal infection is very widespread, a doctor should also be consulted for treatment.

Although fungal infections are more common between the toes or groin, they can appear anywhere on the body, armpits are often affected, and red, circular "ringworm" plaques can appear on the face. Limbs or trunk. They are usually red and scaly, roughly circular and all itchy.