Stop Athlete’s Foot

For most cases of athlete’s foot (tinea pedis), a doctor will recommend treating the infection with an over-the-counter anti-fungal cream or powder (such as one that contains clotrimazole or miconazole). However, when the tinea infection is serious and doesn’t respond to over-the-counter treatments, the doctor may recommend trying a stronger, prescription antifungal. Some of the most common types of prescription antifungals include:

• Terbinafine (Lamisil®)
• Itraconazole (Sporanox®)
• Fluconazole (Diflucan®)
• Griseofulvin (Fulvicin®, Grifulvin®)

While these prescription antifungals are beneficial to many people suffering with athlete’s foot, everyone needs to understand the possible side effects before they fill their prescription. For example, the Food And Drug Administration (FDA) issued a public health advisory in 2001 that both Sporanox® and Lamisil® have been associated with liver failure and death. This study includes patients who had no pre-existing liver disease or serious underlying medical condition. Also, the FDA believes that Sporanox® is linked to congestive heart failure, and shouldn’t be prescribed to people with a history of heart problems.

And what about Diflucan? In one clinical study of 4048 patients receiving Diflucan for 7 or more day, common side effects included: nausea, headaches, skin rashes, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Though in other studies, more serious side effects have occurred: seizures, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hypokalemia, and dyspepsia.

As for Griseofulvin, it has been shown to cause liver and thyroid tumors in some animals. Possible side effects include: headaches, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, dizziness, and numbness.

While I’m not trying to scare people into avoiding the use of powerful, prescription antifungals (because I think they are extremely beneficial to many people), I believe everyone should know the serious side effects that can result in the use of these medications and should discuss potential risk factors with their doctors.

People infected with the fungus that causes athlete’s foot will always be susceptible to recurrent infections. However, if they avoid, prevent, or minimize the factors that cause athlete’s foot to occur, they can stop or significantly reduce the frequency of recurrences. Here are a few common-sense ways to prevent athlete’s foot:

• Clean your feet daily. Wash your feet, especially in between your toes, several times per day with non-antibacterial soap and water.
• Keep your feet dry. Dry your feet after bathing or swimming and walk barefoot at home as much as possible to keep your feet dry (especially during the night).
• Wear light, well ventilated shoes. Avoid wearing tight-fitting or synthetic footwear that restricts airflow to the feet.
• Wear absorbant socks. Wear socks made of absorbent fibers, preferably cotton, and wash them in hot water with bleach.
• Protect your feet in public. Wear shower shoes instead of walking barefoot around public showers, locker rooms, or swimming pools.
• Change socks or stockings daily. Change your socks or stockings several times per day if they get damp or you sweat a lot.
• Spray your shoes with a disinfectant. Spray a disinfectant in your shoes and let them dry in the sun to kill the dermatophytes.
• Don’t share bathing items or footwear Never share shoes, socks or stockings, towels, or washclothes with anyone else.
• Use antifungal powder. Sprinkle antifungal powder in your shoes when you wake up in the morning and before you go to sleep at night.

Not only does athlete’s foot cause unbearable pain and agony from the itching and burning, but it can also cause many complications (some of which are severe and dangerous):

1. Bacterial Skin Infections

   If left untreated, Tinea pedis can lead to secondary bacterial infections of the foot or leg (cellulitis); which could potentially be dangerous for people with diabetes, chronic vascular diseases, or impaired immune systems.

2. Allergic Reaction

   Some people experience an allergic reaction to the fungus that causes athlete’s foot. This allergic reaction, called a dermatophytid or id reaction, typically causes an eruption of blisters on the fingers, palms of the hands, and on the body trunk area and extremities. Other people experience allergic reactions or systemic side effects caused by strong medications used to fight off the fungal infection.

3. Recurrence

   People with a history of athlete’s foot are more susceptible to recurrences and other complications. So, they must practice good hygiene with their feet to prevent future recurrences.

4. Contagious to Self and Others

   The contagious fungus that causes athlete’s foot can easily spread to other parts of the body or to someone else. Here are the most commonly affected areas:

   • Groin area (Tinea cruris or jock itch)
   • Toenails and Fingernails (Tinea unguium or onychomycosis)
   • Scalp (Tinea capitis)
   • Body Trunk and Extremities (Tinea corporis)
   • Hands (Tinea manuum)
   • Face (Tinea faciale)
   • Beard Area and Neck (Tinea barbae)

Not every red, scaly, or oozing foot problem is due to a tinea pedis infection. Bacterial infections, dermatitis, psoriasis, and other skin diseases can mimic this type of fungal infection. That’s why it’s important to initially get your condition diagnosed by a podiatrist or another competent health care provider before you take any further curing or preventive measures.

When you go to see your doctor, diagnosis is usually made by visual observation of the symptoms. Though if that isn’t sufficient in diagnosing your condition, other tests can be performed:

• Skin culture (fungi are grown from flecks of skin in a laboratory)
• Skin lesion biopsy (This is the process of removing a portion of skin from a patient for a diagnostic examination under a microscope)
• Skin lesion KOH exam (skin scrapings in KOH show fungus under the microscope). The skin lesion KOH exam is a test to diagnose a fungal infection of the skin.

Diagnosis is made by visual observation of the symptoms. Microscopic examination of skin scrapings is used to determine the type of fungus causing the infection and to rule out bacterial infection. Other tests include growing a fungal culture from skin scrapings and examining the patient’s foot under an ultraviolet light.

Athlete’s foot seems to occur most often in people who are susceptible to infection. Most medical scientists and doctors believe there is an unknown genetic component that predisposes these unfortunate individuals. When people are susceptible to tinea pedis infections, they usually possess one or more of the following risk factors:

• Being male (males are more susceptible to infection than females)
• An impaired immune system (due to conditions such as diabetes, HIV/AIDS, or cancer)
• Perspire excessively (called hyperhydrosis)
• Skin produces less fatty acid (a natural antifungal agent)
• Wear the same pair of shoes or socks continuously
• Wear poorly ventilated, tight fitting shoes or socks with wet or sweaty feet
• Live in a warm and damp climate
• Have a history of being susceptible to fungal infections

While we cannot control whether we were born male or have an impaired immune system due to a medical condition such as diabetes, we can control whether we wear poorly ventilated, tight-fitting shoes or socks with wet or sweaty feet, or if we use public or shared locker rooms or showers without wearing protective shower shoes.

Athlete’s foot (also called tinea pedis or foot ringworm) is a contagious infection of the foot caused by a microscopic fungus called a dermatophyte that lives on the dead tissues of the hair, nails, and the outer skin layers. These fungi usually affect the spaces between the toes, but can also spread to the soles and sides of the feet, and the toenails. It can also infect other parts of the body, such as the groin (called jock itch), scalp, underarms, and hands (usually fingers and palms).

Most people “catch” athlete’s foot by contact with fragments of skin or other particles that carry the fungus. This usually happens when walking barefoot in public places such as swimming pools, showers, saunas, or locker rooms. (NOTE: Because the infection was common among athletes who used these facilities frequently, “athlete’s foot” became popular.) However, it can also happen by touching contaminated carpet, mats, shoes, socks, stockings, bed sheets, towels, and even pet fur. Once the fungus attaches itself to the foot, wearing poorly ventilated, tight fitting shoes and socks when the feet are wet or sweaty provides the fungus with a warm and moist environment to grow.

The Four Types Of Tinea Pedis

#1: Interdigital Type

In this most common type of athlete’s foot, a sufferer experiences scaling, peeling, and cracking skin between the toes (most often between the fourth and fifth toes). As the infection progresses, the skin becomes milky white, soft, and soggy; may itch severely, and produce a foul odor. As the condition worsens, painful cracking in the toe webs and some oozing may develop.

#2: Inflammatory/Vesicular Type

Often when people leave an interdigital type infection untreated, an inflamed rash may occur on the top and sole of the foot and cause itchy, painful, fluid-filled blisters (vesicles) to appear. Known as an id reaction, these blisters are usually the result of an allergic reaction to the tinea pedis infection. This type of athlete’s foot is also referred to as jungle rot, which afflicts soldiers fighting in warm, moist, humid conditions.

#3: Moccasin Type

Caused by a dermatophyte called Trichophyton rubrum, this type of tinea pedis causes redness, blistering, dryness, and scaling along the sides, heel, or sole of the foot in a “moccasin-like” pattern. The surface of the skin usually looks silvery with a pink or red base underneath. Also, the moccasin type of athlete’s foot often affects both feet, the toenails, and even the hands.

#4: Ulcerative Type

In the ulcerative type of tinea pedis (usually caused by a dermatophyte called Trichophyton mentagrophytes), an infected person develops painful ulcers in the skin between the toes and sometimes on the sole of the foot. It often makes them susceptible to secondary bacterial infections. People with impaired immune systems and diabetes are at greater risk of infection.