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Athlete's Foot Treatment in Delhi, India
Overview
An athlete's foot is a fungal infection affecting the skin, especially between the toes. The affecting fungus, Trichophyton, affects warm and moist skin. It can affect any part of the foot and occurs in people who walk frequently, not only in athletes.
It causes a stinging, burning sensation, it feels itchy, and the affected part becomes red. It is a chronic infection that can frequently recur if not cared for. The causative organism is commonly found in damp places such as locker rooms and swimming pools.
The affected part of the skin has a specific appearance:
- Becomes flaky
- Turn reddish due to inflammation
- One may have a burning sensation
- Skin becomes itchy and maybe warm
- The skin may feel scaly and dry
- May develop leaky blisters
The skin may sometimes crack, owing to dryness, and there may be oozing from the bursting of blisters. The skin may become white and sometimes appear swollen. The surrounding sole and foot may become scaly. When it spreads to the sole, the condition is termed moccasin athlete's foot. A differential diagnosis of mocassin athlete's foot is eczema.
Dermophytes cause athlete's foot. These fungi enter the skin through cracks and grow rapidly on the topmost skin layer under damp conditions. These fungi can spread through direct contact or flaky skin. Stepping on infectious flakes in communal showers may also cause athlete's foot. Our feet offer the perfect conditions for the fungus to thrive. Wearing shoes all day can make our skin warm and moist, allowing the fungi to multiply.
The doctor examines the skin and assesses the symptoms. A skin sample may be required to rule out other skin infections and diseases. The skin sample is scraped off and treated with a chemical agent to identify the fungi under a microscope. The infection rarely spreads to other areas of the skin.
Athlete's foot can be treated with over-the-counter available creams, gels, or sprays without a prescription. These creams contain anti-fungal ingredients and are safe to use.
Home remedies may also help. For example, using herbal concoctions for footbaths can help relieve symptoms. But home remedies carry no scientific proof of their effectiveness in treating athlete's foot.
Risk factors that increase the chances of contracting an athlete's foot are:
- Allergies
- Eczema
- Sweaty feet
- Immunocompromised or having a weakened immunity
- Have a pre-existing medical condition
- Lowered blood circulation to the feet (due to diabetes/peripheral artery disease)
- Genetic predisposition
- Sports - running, swimming, gymming
- People who wear sturdy shoes at work, such as safety boots or rubber boots, are more prone to infection.
Although an athlete's foot rarely or never leads to any serious ailments in healthy people. It requires treatment and normally doesn't go away on its own. If treatment is avoided, it can spread to a nail and cause a fungal nail infection. The infection rarely spreads to other areas of the skin, such as the hands. Very rarely, and only in cases of severe untreated infection, it can lead to a bacterial infection.
The fungi causing tinea pedis grows well in a moist environment. It is beneficial to keep the feel dry to prevent getting the infection. For example:
- Thoroughly dry feet with a bath towel after showering in common locker rooms after swimming
- Wear shoes that fit comfortably - neither tight nor those that don't let in enough air.
- Wear different pairs of footwear on alternate days.
- Take shoes off as often as possible.
To prevent getting infected from flakes of skin and to prevent its recurrence, the following can be practised:
- Wear flip-flops at communal showers, near swimming pools and changing rooms.
- Avoid sharing personal use items such as towels, soaps, etc.
- Wash socks, bedding, and towels with warm water.
Add a special anti-fungal laundry sanitiser if warm water cannot be made available.
Athlete's foot has a good prognosis since it can be treated without much hassle. In addition, it doesn't spread and heal within a short span of time.
Reviewed by Dr. Namrita Singh, Associate Director - Internal Medicine on 22-Mar-2023.
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