What is athlete’s foot?
Athlete’s foot is a fungal infection that causes a rash on moist areas of your feet.
Athlete's foot is very common because water gets trapped in the warm spaces between your toes
It can spread from person to person in shared bathrooms, showers, and warm wet places
Keeping your feet dry lowers the chance of getting athlete's foot
Doctors treat athlete's foot with antifungal cream
What are the symptoms of athlete’s foot?
Symptoms include:
Itching
Foot rash
There are different kinds of athlete's foot rash:
Cracked, red, peeling skin between your toes
Thickened, scaly skin on the soles of your feet
Rarely, fluid-filled blisters
The cracks in your skin can let germs in and cause a bacterial infection of the skin of your foot (cellulitis).
The skin between the toes is cracked, scaling, and often red. These findings are typical of athlete's foot (tinea pedis). Sometimes the most obvious abnormality is visible between the toes, as in the photo on the right.
Image provided by Thomas Habif, MD.
Image provided by Thomas Habif, MD.
This photo shows cracked, scaly skin on the sole of the foot.
© Springer Science+Business Media
The skin between the toes is cracked, scaling, and often red. These findings are typical of athlete's foot (tinea pedis). Sometimes the most obvious abnormality is visible between the toes, as in the photo on the right.
Image provided by Thomas Habif, MD.
Image provided by Thomas Habif, MD.
This photo shows cracked, scaly skin on the sole of the foot.
© Springer Science+Business Media
How can doctors tell if I have athlete’s foot?
Doctors can usually tell it's athlete's foot by looking at it. To know for sure, doctors may take a tiny scraping of your skin to look at under a microscope.
How do doctors treat athlete’s foot?
Doctors treat athlete's foot with:
Antifungal creams to put on your foot
Rarely, antifungal medicines to take by mouth
Athlete's foot often comes back after treatment. You may need to take medicine for a long time.
How can I prevent athlete’s foot?
To prevent athlete's foot:
Keep your feet dry
Wear shower shoes or sandals at the gym or other public showers
Ways to keep your feet dry include:
Wearing open-toe shoes or shoes that let air circulate
Changing your socks often, especially during warm weather
Drying the spaces between your toes with a towel after bathing
