Athlete's Foot Specialist

What causes athlete’s foot?

Athlete’s foot is a highly contagious fungal infection. While fungal infections can develop anywhere on your body, they thrive in areas where it’s warm, dark, and damp, like between your toes. Athlete’s foot can develop due to:

• Wearing sweaty socks and shoes for long periods
• Walking barefoot in communal areas, like locker rooms
• Sharing socks or shoes with someone who’s infected

While athlete’s foot affects both men and women, men tend to struggle with athlete’s foot more often.

Is there treatment for athlete’s foot?

Yes. It’s relatively simple to diagnose athlete’s foot since the scaly red rash tends to surface between your toes. If you have severe open ulcers or continue having athlete’s foot breakouts, your podiatrist at Town Center Foot & Ankle may take a small skin sample specimen to send off to the lab for evaluation.

Depending on the severity of your specific symptoms and your prior history with athlete’s foot, your treatment plan can involve:

• Oral or topical antifungal medications
• Soothing lotions, powders, or sprays
• Lifestyle changes to help you heal

The team counsels you on what you need to do to recover as quickly as possible, as well as what you can do to prevent further issues.

How do I prevent athlete’s foot?

In many cases, you can prevent athlete’s foot. The fungi that lead to athlete’s foot thrive in warmth and moisture, so you need to protect your feet in these types of environments. If you’re near a pool or in the gym locker room, for instance, wear shower shoes to minimize contact with contaminated surfaces.

Focus on cleaning your feet daily, scrubbing between your toes, then allowing your feet to thoroughly dry before putting on shoes and socks. If your footwear gets damp from sweating at the gym or at work, let your feet air out and put on dry socks as soon as possible.

It’s important to let gym shoes thoroughly dry out overnight or even better, rotate through a couple different pairs, so one is always dry. Your podiatrist at Town Center Foot & Ankle can teach you additional lifestyle changes you need to make to decrease your risk of another athlete’s foot outbreak.

You can get relief from athlete’s foot with the help of the team at Town Center Foot & Ankle. Call your closest clinic or click on the online scheduling feature.