When your feet are irritated, it makes even putting socks on painful and uncomfortable. There are a lot of conditions that can lead to skin problems on your feet, including athlete’s foot. This problem is extremely uncomfortable, and leads to pain when wearing socks or shoes. The name is deceiving, though, as it can happen to anyone, not just athletes.
Dr. Francine Rhinehart is a podiatry specialist who offers expert care and state-of-the-art treatment for a variety of foot and ankle conditions. If you’re suffering from athlete’s foot, Dr. Rhinehart and her team can help you finally get relief.
Athlete’s foot is essentially a fungal infection of the skin on your feet and toes. It’s caused by a type of fungi called dermatophytes, which are also the cause of ringworm and jock itch.
Typically, the symptoms of athlete’s foot occur on the skin between your toes, although it can happen anywhere on your foot. It’s transmitted through contact with broken skin that comes in contact with the fungus. Athlete’s foot exhibits a number of uncomfortable symptoms, including:
If athlete’s foot leads to open sores on your skin, it could cause a bacterial infection as well. The symptoms of this condition often cause intense itching and pain in severe cases.
If you suspect you have athlete’s foot, you shouldn’t get too worried. This condition is very treatable, and usually clears up with both at-home treatments and prescription medications. Dr. Rhinehart may prescribe any of the following to treat athlete's foot:
You want to make sure to keep your feet both clean and dry to allow the fungal infection to clear during and after treatment. Typically, Dr. Rhinehart prescribes topical medications first. Oral antifungal medications are used for more severe forms of athlete’s foot that aren’t responding to the topical antifungal alone.
There’s a lot of steps you can take to prevent the irritation of athlete’s foot. Some of the tips our team recommends include:
Always make sure you’re wearing something on your feet when you’re walking in a hotel room, public pool, locker room, or public shower. This prevents any bacteria from getting onto your feet.
Fungus thrives in warm, wet areas. Keeping your feet clean and dry helps to prevent fungus from starting in the first place.
Foot hygiene is just as important as keeping other areas of your body clean. Make sure you’re washing your feet everyday, and drying them thoroughly.
Switching up your footwear is a great way to avoid athlete’s foot. This allows your shoes to dry out, making it hard for fungus and bacteria to thrive in these areas.
If someone you live with has athlete’s foot, make sure you don’t share things that have touched their feet. This means don’t share towels, socks, or shoes that the person has worn.
If you need expert care for your athlete’s foot, don’t hesitate to call our office in Dallas, Texas today at 469-754-8960 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Rhinehart. You can also send the team a message on the website.
