Athlete's foot: A skin infection caused by a fungus called Trichophyton that thrives within the upper layer of the skin when it is moist, warm, and irritated. The fungus can be found on floors and in socks and clothing, and it can be spread from person to person through contact with these objects. However, without proper growing conditions, athlete's foot fungus will not infect the skin. It can be treated with topical antifungal preparations. Also known as tinea pedis, athlete's foot is a form of ringworm.
Symptoms
Many individuals with athlete's foot have no symptoms at all and do not even know they have an infection. Many may think they simply have dry skin on the soles of their feet. Common symptoms of athlete's foot typically include various degrees of itching and burning. The skin may frequently peel, and in particularly severe cases, there may be some cracking, pain, and bleeding as well. Rarely, athlete's foot can blister.
Symptoms
Many individuals with athlete's foot have no symptoms at all and do not even know they have an infection. Many may think they simply have dry skin on the soles of their feet. Common symptoms of athlete's foot typically include various degrees of itching and burning. The skin may frequently peel, and in particularly severe cases, there may be some cracking, pain, and bleeding as well. Rarely, athlete's foot can blister.
Causes
There are many possible causes of foot rashes. Additional causes include irritant orcontact dermatitis, allergic rashes from shoes or other creams, dyshidrotic eczema (skinallergy rash), psoriasis, yeast infections, and bacterial infections. Consult to Cosmetologist in Delhi for best treatment.
Your physician can perform a simple test called a KOH, or potassium hydroxide for microscopic fungal examination, in the office or laboratory to confirm the presence of a fungal infection. This test is performed using small flakes of skin that are examined under the microscope. Many dermatologists perform this test in their office with results available within minutes. Rarely, a small piece of skin may be removed and sent forbiopsy to help confirm the diagnosis. Consult to Cosmetologist in Gurgaon and Cosmetologist in Faridabad for best treatment.
There are many possible causes of foot rashes. Additional causes include irritant orcontact dermatitis, allergic rashes from shoes or other creams, dyshidrotic eczema (skinallergy rash), psoriasis, yeast infections, and bacterial infections. Consult to Cosmetologist in Delhi for best treatment.
Your physician can perform a simple test called a KOH, or potassium hydroxide for microscopic fungal examination, in the office or laboratory to confirm the presence of a fungal infection. This test is performed using small flakes of skin that are examined under the microscope. Many dermatologists perform this test in their office with results available within minutes. Rarely, a small piece of skin may be removed and sent forbiopsy to help confirm the diagnosis. Consult to Cosmetologist in Gurgaon and Cosmetologist in Faridabad for best treatment.
Risk factors
You are at higher risk of athlete's foot if you:
Are a man
Frequently wear damp socks or tight fitting shoes
Share mats, rugs, bed linens, clothes or shoes with someone who has a fungal infection
Walk barefoot in public areas where the infection can spread, such as locker rooms, saunas, swimming pools, communal baths and showers
Have a weakened immune system
Complications
Athlete's foot can lead to complications, including:
Secondary infections. Athlete's foot, a fungal infection, can create an environment that invites a secondary bacterial infection. By producing an antibiotic substance, the fungus can kill off vulnerable bacteria and favor the overgrowth of hardier, resistant bacteria. In turn, the bacteria release substances that can cause tissue breakdown — soggy skin and painful eroded areas between the toes.
An allergic response. After an episode of athlete's foot, proteins might enter your bloodstream, leading to an allergic reaction that may cause an eruption of blisters on your fingers, toes or hands (dermatophytid or "id" reaction).
Diagnosis
Athlete's foot can usually be diagnosed by visual inspection of the skin, but where the diagnosis is in doubt direct microscopy of a potassium hydroxide preparation (known as a KOH test) may help rule out other possible causes, such as eczema or psoriasis. A KOH preparation is performed on skin scrapings from the affected area. The KOH preparation has an excellent positive predictive value, but occasionally false negative results may be obtained, especially if treatment with an antifungal medication has already begun. Consult to Cosmetologist in Noida and Cosmetologist in Ghaziabad for best treatment.
If the above diagnoses are inconclusive or if a treatment regimen has already been started, a biopsy of the affected skin (i.e. a sample of the living skin tissue) can be taken for histological examination.
A Wood's lamp, although useful in diagnosing fungal infections of the scalp (tinea capitis), is not usually helpful in diagnosing tinea pedis, since the common dermatophytes that cause this disease do not fluoresce under ultraviolet light. However, it can be useful for determining if the disease is due to a nonfungal afflict or.
Tests:-
Tests are needed, they may include:
Skin culture
Skin lesion biopsy
Skin lesion KOH exam
Treatment:-
The treatment of athlete's foot can be divided into two parts. The first, and most important part, is to make the infected area less suitable for the athlete's foot fungus to grow. This means keeping the area clean and dry.
Buy shoes that are leather or another breathable material. Occlusive shoe materials, such as vinyl, cause the feet to remain moist, providing an excellent area for the fungus to breed. Likewise, absorbent socks like cotton that wick water away from your feet may help.
Powders, especially medicated powders (such as with miconazole [Lotrimin] or tolnaftate [Tinactin]), can help keep your feet dry. Finally, your feet can be soaked in a drying solution of aluminum acetate (Burow's solution or Domeboro solution). A homemade remedy of dilute white vinegar soaks using one part vinegar and roughly four parts water, once or twice a day as 10-minute foot soaks may aid in treatment.
The second part of treatment is the use of antifungal creams and washes. Many medications are available, terbinafine (Lamisil) sprays and creams, and ketoconazoleshampoo and cream (Nizoral), etc. Ask your health-care professional or pharmacist for a recommendation. Treatment for athlete's foot should generally be continued for four weeks or at least one week after all of the skin symptoms have cleared.
More advanced or resistant cases of athlete's foot may require a two- to three-week course of an oral (pill) antifungal like terbinafine (Lamisil),itraconazole (Sporanox), or fluconazole (Diflucan). Laboratory blood tests to make sure there is no liver disease may be required before taking these pills.
Terbinafine: 250 mg once a day for two weeks
Itraconazole: 100 mg twice a day for two weeks
Fluconazole: 100 mg once weekly for two to three weeks
Topical corticosteroid creams can act as a fertilizer for fungus and may actually worsen fungal skin infections. These topical steroid medications have no role in treating fungal foot infections.
If the fungal infection has spread to the toenails, the nails must also be treated to avoid reinfection of the feet. Often, the nails are initially ignored only to find the athlete's foot keeps recurring. It is important to treat all the visible fungus at the same time. Effective nail fungus treatment may be more intensive and require prolonged courses (three to four months) of oral antifungal medications.
Drugs:-
Drugs that may be prescribe by the specialist may include:
Miconazole
You are at higher risk of athlete's foot if you:
Are a man
Frequently wear damp socks or tight fitting shoes
Share mats, rugs, bed linens, clothes or shoes with someone who has a fungal infection
Walk barefoot in public areas where the infection can spread, such as locker rooms, saunas, swimming pools, communal baths and showers
Have a weakened immune system
Complications
Athlete's foot can lead to complications, including:
Secondary infections. Athlete's foot, a fungal infection, can create an environment that invites a secondary bacterial infection. By producing an antibiotic substance, the fungus can kill off vulnerable bacteria and favor the overgrowth of hardier, resistant bacteria. In turn, the bacteria release substances that can cause tissue breakdown — soggy skin and painful eroded areas between the toes.
An allergic response. After an episode of athlete's foot, proteins might enter your bloodstream, leading to an allergic reaction that may cause an eruption of blisters on your fingers, toes or hands (dermatophytid or "id" reaction).
Diagnosis
Athlete's foot can usually be diagnosed by visual inspection of the skin, but where the diagnosis is in doubt direct microscopy of a potassium hydroxide preparation (known as a KOH test) may help rule out other possible causes, such as eczema or psoriasis. A KOH preparation is performed on skin scrapings from the affected area. The KOH preparation has an excellent positive predictive value, but occasionally false negative results may be obtained, especially if treatment with an antifungal medication has already begun. Consult to Cosmetologist in Noida and Cosmetologist in Ghaziabad for best treatment.
If the above diagnoses are inconclusive or if a treatment regimen has already been started, a biopsy of the affected skin (i.e. a sample of the living skin tissue) can be taken for histological examination.
A Wood's lamp, although useful in diagnosing fungal infections of the scalp (tinea capitis), is not usually helpful in diagnosing tinea pedis, since the common dermatophytes that cause this disease do not fluoresce under ultraviolet light. However, it can be useful for determining if the disease is due to a nonfungal afflict or.
Tests:-
Tests are needed, they may include:
Skin culture
Skin lesion biopsy
Skin lesion KOH exam
Treatment:-
The treatment of athlete's foot can be divided into two parts. The first, and most important part, is to make the infected area less suitable for the athlete's foot fungus to grow. This means keeping the area clean and dry.
Buy shoes that are leather or another breathable material. Occlusive shoe materials, such as vinyl, cause the feet to remain moist, providing an excellent area for the fungus to breed. Likewise, absorbent socks like cotton that wick water away from your feet may help.
Powders, especially medicated powders (such as with miconazole [Lotrimin] or tolnaftate [Tinactin]), can help keep your feet dry. Finally, your feet can be soaked in a drying solution of aluminum acetate (Burow's solution or Domeboro solution). A homemade remedy of dilute white vinegar soaks using one part vinegar and roughly four parts water, once or twice a day as 10-minute foot soaks may aid in treatment.
The second part of treatment is the use of antifungal creams and washes. Many medications are available, terbinafine (Lamisil) sprays and creams, and ketoconazoleshampoo and cream (Nizoral), etc. Ask your health-care professional or pharmacist for a recommendation. Treatment for athlete's foot should generally be continued for four weeks or at least one week after all of the skin symptoms have cleared.
More advanced or resistant cases of athlete's foot may require a two- to three-week course of an oral (pill) antifungal like terbinafine (Lamisil),itraconazole (Sporanox), or fluconazole (Diflucan). Laboratory blood tests to make sure there is no liver disease may be required before taking these pills.
Terbinafine: 250 mg once a day for two weeks
Itraconazole: 100 mg twice a day for two weeks
Fluconazole: 100 mg once weekly for two to three weeks
Topical corticosteroid creams can act as a fertilizer for fungus and may actually worsen fungal skin infections. These topical steroid medications have no role in treating fungal foot infections.
If the fungal infection has spread to the toenails, the nails must also be treated to avoid reinfection of the feet. Often, the nails are initially ignored only to find the athlete's foot keeps recurring. It is important to treat all the visible fungus at the same time. Effective nail fungus treatment may be more intensive and require prolonged courses (three to four months) of oral antifungal medications.
Drugs:-
Drugs that may be prescribe by the specialist may include:
Miconazole
Tolnaftate
Clotrimazole
Terbinafine
Ketoconazole
Alternative treatments
Tea tree oil may improve the symptoms but does not cure the underlying fungal infection. Ajoene, a compound found in garlic, is sometimes used to treat athlete's foot.
Prevention
The fungi that cause athlete's foot can live on shower floors, wet towels, and footwear, and can spread from person to person from shared contact with showers, towels, etc. Hygiene, therefore, plays an important role in managing an athlete's foot infection. Since fungi thrive in moist environments, keeping feet and footwear as dry as possible, and avoiding sharing towels, etc., aids prevention of primary infection.
Alternative treatments
Tea tree oil may improve the symptoms but does not cure the underlying fungal infection. Ajoene, a compound found in garlic, is sometimes used to treat athlete's foot.
Prevention
The fungi that cause athlete's foot can live on shower floors, wet towels, and footwear, and can spread from person to person from shared contact with showers, towels, etc. Hygiene, therefore, plays an important role in managing an athlete's foot infection. Since fungi thrive in moist environments, keeping feet and footwear as dry as possible, and avoiding sharing towels, etc., aids prevention of primary infection.
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