Athlete’s Foot
Daniel Adamovsky, DPM
Athlete’s foot is a fungal infection of the foot. Fungi love dark, moist places such
as inside shoes or between the toes. People who wear socks and shoes have a higher
chance of getting this condition. Athlete’s foot is more common in people whose feet are
sweaty or who do not change socks or shoes regularly. More people complain of this
problem during the summer, when the temperature favors fungi to grow. Some
individuals are more susceptible to contracting it than others based on their immune
system.
Athlete’s foot between the toes causes the skin to be moist and crack. There can
also be redness and itching. Sometimes a bacterial infection on the foot or in between the
toes can result if the condition is not treated. Athlete’s foot can make the feet dry, itchy,
and scaly. Since there are many different fungi that cause athlete’s foot, blisters or
weeping sores can also be the result of this condition. A fungal culture is a good way to
determine what organism is causing the problem.
Often people will put moisturizer cream or Vaseline on their feet thinking that the
scaling and cracking is due to dry skin. When the dryness and cracking does not go
away, they think that nothing can be done.
The first advice I give my patients is to tell them to alternate shoes from day to
day and fumigate infected shoes with antifungal spray like Tinactin or Desenex.
Changing socks twice a day to decrease foot moisture works very well. If someone has
sweaty feet, I will give him or her a drying spray to decrease the chance of athlete’s foot
coming back down the road. There are many antifungal creams and ointments that can be
bought in the store or given by prescription. If all else fails, there are oral antifungal
medications that can be taken. This usually does the trick.