Athlete's foot or Tiena Pedis is a common skin infection of the feet caused by fungus. It often causes embarrassment, frustration, and discomfort for suffers.
As a clinician, I see and treat this condition daily. I find myself often having to reassure clients that this condition is not a direct reflection of poor hygiene. Although good foot hygiene is an important part of an effective treatment plan, Tinea is a very common, resistant, contagious, and often frustrating condition. It seems to affect males more than females. Diabetics and those with compromised immune systems are more susceptible. Having said that, I see it daily amongst Men and women of all ages from different demographics.
Signs and symptoms can include:
- itching,
- scaling,
- cracking,
- redness and/or
- blistering
In my experience, Tinea often goes undetected and untreated because it gets mistaken for dry skin. It is not always itchy (contrary to popular belief). Patients often mistakenly apply moisturizer to the skin, not realizing they are making the condition worse. Proper diagnosis is imperative.
Athletes' foot fungus may infect any part of the foot. It is common between the toes. This is mostly due to the moisture typically found in these areas of the foot. The same fungus may also infect the nails. Treating fungal nails can be very challenging. (I will cover this topic in another Blog).
Tinea is contagious and can spread to other parts of your own body including your hands and fingernails. Avoid scratching and touching the affected area. It can also spread to others via shared facilities (like showers and pools), and shared linen, towels, socks, and footwear.
Tinea thrives in moist, dark, and warm environments. It's not hard to see understand how the environment inside your shoe is ideal for the fungus to flourish.
Top Tips for prevention and successful treatment are:
- Always dry well between all your toes after bathing
- Control sweaty feet with appropriate products and socks. See your Podiatrist for more information.
- Avoid going barefoot in high-risk public areas
- Avoid keeping feet in wet socks and shoes for prolonged periods of time.
- Treat footwear, insoles, and socks weekly with antifungal products to eliminate fungal spores and avoid cross-infection.
- Pay attention to the active ingredient contained in the topical antifungal product you are using. Use it as recommended for at least 2 weeks.
- If you find the product is not working or seems to lose effectiveness after a period of time, try changing to a product with different active ingredients. For example, SolvEasy Tinea cream contains Terbinafine Hydrochloride 1%, whereas Resolve Tinea cream contains Miconazole Nitrate 2%. Both are very effective products, however, if you have used the same product for a period of time, changing can be helpful.
And finally, be wary of nail salons that soak your feet in non-sterile containers and use potentially non-sterile instruments to cut and file your nails and skin. There is a big difference between disinfected and sterile. Anything cutting into your skin or nail has to be sterilized in order to ensure no cross-infection.
Tinea often has to be managed regularly in order to be kept at bay, as opposed to being treated once. Knowing the early signs of tinea and having a regular and effective foot care regime helps greatly. Consult your Podiatrist for an accurate diagnosis and an effective treatment plan.