Athlete's Foot Awareness

Whether you’ve added swimming to your winter cross-training routine, made a New Year resolution to start going to the gym or simply have been wearing socks more often due to the cooler weather, it is important to take measures to keep your feet from picking up this uncomfortable fungal infection.

Athlete’s foot, otherwise know as tinea pedis, is a superficial fungal infection of the skin. It most occurs more frequently in adults, targeting the web spaces between the toes and soles of the feet. The fungi thrive in warm, moist environments that may be present in socks, old running shoes, around indoor pools and in fitness center showers. Symptoms of tinea pedis include itching, redness, scaling and occasionally blisters. There are many different types of fungi that cause athlete’s foot, and superficial bacterial infections of the skin can present with identical symptoms. Therefore, it’s important to distinguish a bacterial from a fungal organism causing the skin infection prior to commencement of treatment. Below are some tips provided by the American Podiatric Medical Association for avoiding superficial skin infections of the feet.

Avoid walking barefoot; use shower shoes.
Reduce perspiration by using talcum powder.
Wear light and airy shoes.
Wear socks that keep your feet dry, and change them frequently if you perspire heavily.

Whether you describe yourself as an athlete or not, we’re all susceptible to an attack of athlete’s foot if we don’t take proper measures to keep our feet dry. If the above tips fail to prevent this fungal infection from attacking your feet, don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment with your podiatrist. They have the training to differentiate between bacterial and fungal infections with noninvasive tests and will get you on the road to recovery in no time.