Managing specific infectious diseases: A to Z
Athlete's Foot (Tinea Pedis)
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You can typically treat athlete's foot with topical antifungal medications. Depending on the severity, a doctor may prescribe other medications.
Athlete's foot — also called tinea pedis — is a contagious fungal infection that affects the skin on the feet. It can also spread to the toenails and the hands. The fungal infection is called athlete's foot because it's commonly seen in athletes.
Athlete's foot isn't serious, but sometimes it's hard to cure. If you have diabetes or a weakened immune system and suspect you have athlete's foot, you should call your doctor right away.
Athlete's foot occurs when the tinea fungus grows on the feet. You can catch the fungus through direct contact with someone who has it, or by touching surfaces contaminated with the fungus. The fungus thrives in warm, moist environments. It's commonly found in showers, on locker room floors, and around swimming pools.
Anyone can get athlete's foot, but certain behaviors increase your risk. Factors that increase your risk of getting athlete's foot include:
There are many possible symptoms of athlete's foot, which include:
A doctor may diagnose athlete's foot by the symptoms. Or, a doctor may order a skin test if they aren't sure a fungal infection is causing your symptoms.
A skin lesion potassium hydroxide exam is the most common test for athlete's foot. A doctor scrapes off a small area of infected skin and places it in potassium hydroxide. The KOH destroys normal cells and leaves the fungal cells untouched so they are easy to see under a microscope.
Athlete's foot can often be treated with over-the-counter (OTC) topical antifungal medications. If OTC medications don't treat your infection, your doctor may prescribe topical or oral prescription-strength antifungal medications. Your doctor may also recommend home treatments to help clear up the infection.
OTC medicationsThere are many OTC topical antifungal medications, including:
Find these OTC antifungal medications on Amazon.
Prescription medicationsSome of the prescription medications your doctor may prescribe for athlete's foot include:
Your doctor may recommend that you soak your feet in salt water or diluted vinegar to help dry up blisters.
Alternative therapyTea tree oil has been used as an alternative therapy for treating athlete's foot with some success. A study from 2002 reported that a 50 percent solution of tea tree oil effectively treated athlete's foot in 64 percent of trial participants.
Ask your doctor if a tea tree oil solution can help your athlete's foot. Tea tree oil can cause contact dermatitis in some people.
Find therapeutic-grade tea tree oil on Amazon.
Athlete's foot can lead to complications in some cases. Mild complications include an allergic reaction to the fungus, which can lead to blistering on the feet or hands. It's also possible for the fungal infection to return after treatment.
There can be more severe complications if a secondary bacterial infection develops. In this case, your foot might be swollen, painful, and hot. Pus, drainage, and fever are additional signs of a bacterial infection.
It's also possible for the bacterial infection to spread to the lymph system. A skin infection could lead to infections of your lymphatic system or lymph nodes.
Athlete's foot infections can be mild or severe. Some clear up quickly, and others last a long time. Athlete's foot infections generally respond well to antifungal treatment. However, sometimes fungal infections are difficult to eliminate. Long-term treatment with antifungal medications may be necessary to keep athlete's foot infections from returning.
There are several things you can do to help prevent athlete's foot infections:
What Is Athlete's Foot?
© Provided by Health Ake Ngiamsanguan/Getty Images Medically reviewed by Danielle McNeil, D.P.M Athlete's foot, also known as tinea pedis, is a contagious fungal infection that causes inflamed, itchy, and scaly skin between your toes. Symptoms can also affect the bottom of your feet and cause blistering. People often get athlete's foot from wearing sweaty, tight shoes for long periods of time or stepping barefoot on contaminated wet floors.
If left untreated, you may get a bacterial infection in addition to a fungal infection. Luckily, athlete's foot is usually easy to treat with antifungal creams, sprays, powders, or an oral medication.
Types of Athlete's FootAthlete's foot is a type of ringworm that affects the feet. Itchy, red skin between your toes is the most common symptom. However, athlete's foot can look and act differently depending on the type.
Interdigital infectionInterdigital infection is the most common type of athlete's foot. It targets the skin between the toes. The infection often starts between the pinkie and the neighboring toe, making your skin appear red or scaly. Your skin may also burn or itch.
Moccasin InfectionMoccasin infection covers the sole of the foot and can spread to the heel and edge of the foot. As a result, your feet often feel dry and itchy. Your skin will likely appear scaley and might thicken and crack over time.
This type of athlete's foot is sometimes misdiagnosed as eczema because these two skin conditions highly resemble each other.
Vesicular InfectionVesicular infection occurs when athlete's foot causes blisters, also known as vesicles, that fill with pus and burst into open sores. These can appear on the soles of your feet or between your toes. They might feel sore and itchy. You're at a greater risk of developing a bacterial infection after the sores open.
Ulcerative InfectionYou might also develop open, oozing sores called ulcers between your toes. This is known as an ulcerative infection. It's the most painful type of athlete's foot. Like a vesicular infection, it can make you more susceptible to bacterial infections.
Athlete's Foot SymptomsAthlete's foot typically breaks down the skin between the toes, but it can also affect the soles, heels, and sides of the feet. The most common athlete's foot symptoms include:
More severe athlete's foot infections can also cause:
Athlete's foot is one of the most common skin infections because it's highly contagious. It affects about 3% to 15% of the population. People assigned male at birth are more likely to get athlete's foot, as are older adults.
Athlete's foot is caused by fungi called dermatophytes, which thrive in warm and humid environments. You contract it when your feet come into contact with these fungi on contaminated wet surfaces or by sharing infected clothing and towels. Public showers, pools, and gym locker rooms are common places to contract athlete's foot. Keeping your feet in sweaty, warm environments—for example, wearing sweaty sneakers often and for long periods of time—can also increase your risk of infection.
Once the fungus starts growing, it releases enzymes to break down proteins that form the top layer of your skin. Dermatophytes also suppress your immune system and prevent it from stopping the infection. This results in irritated, broken skin that cracks and itches.
Risk factors for athlete's foot include:
Healthcare providers typically diagnose athlete's foot by examining your skin and asking about your symptoms. It might be diagnosed by a dermatologist, a doctor who specializes in the skin, hair, and nails or a podiatrist who specialize in foot care.
A skin lesion potassium hydroxide exam (Skin KOH exam) is the most common test for athlete's foot. If your healthcare provider is unsure of the diagnosis, they may scrape off some skin using a curette or scalpel. The skin sample is added to a microscope slide along with a few drops of a potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution. This solution dissolves any non-fungal cells, revealing fungi.
Athlete's Foot TreatmentsAthlete's foot is typically treated with antifungal medications that kill fungus and prevent more fungus growth. These antifungals are often available over-the-counter (OTC) in cream, spray, and powder forms.
The most common athlete's foot treatments are topical antifungals called imidazoles. These treatments include:
People with blisters or infections affecting the heel or sole of the foot may need oral medications to stop the infection. These include antifungals like:
You can also try home remedies like tea tree oil to treat athlete's foot. Tea tree oil may have antifungal properties that can kill dermatophytes. However, there isn't enough research to prove tea tree oil is an effective athlete's foot treatment.
PreventionYou can contract athlete's foot even after successfully treating it. Again, the fungus that causes athlete's foot thrives in warm, moist environments.
Here are some recommendations for preventing athlete's foot:
If you have athlete's foot, avoid going barefoot in public areas and don't share shoes, towels, or socks with others. This can prevent you from spreading the infection to someone else.
Related ConditionsPeople with a more severe type of athlete's foot infection may get a toenail or bacterial skin infection. Other possible complications of athlete's foot include:
These infections are more likely if you have a weaker immune system or cannot walk.
Living With Athlete's FootAthlete's foot can be very uncomfortable. Fortunately, it is usually easy to treat with OTC antifungal creams and sprays. Reach out to a healthcare provider if you notice red, itchy, or scaly skin between your toes. They may recommend OTC treatments or prescribe a more potent antifungal if you contract athlete's foot multiple times.
Avoid environments that let fungus thrive, especially if you're more susceptible to athlete's foot. This might include removing your sweaty shoes and socks right after a workout, keeping your feet clean, and wearing sandals in public locker rooms and pools.
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Beauty TikToker Says She Got Ringworm After Someone Else Used Her Makeup Kit
[Source]
A beauty influencer on TikTok went viral for getting ringworm after someone else allegedly used her makeup kit.
TikTok user @louaira, who has over 829,000 followers on the video-sharing platform and more than 35,000 followers on Instagram, first shared what happened in a TikTok post on April 8, revealing that she noticed the skin on her face had "flared up."
She then shows three pictures of how the flare-up progressed just days after she first noticed it.
The first picture shows what appears to be burn marks on her face, followed by the second and third pictures that show what appear to be large rashes.
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Louaira says the doctors she consulted did not know what the issue was and believed it could have been either discoid eczema or Steven-Johnson syndrome.
"I'm in pain. I can't smile or laugh because it hurts," she says in her video. "I was crying on the bus on my way home, and because my tears are obviously salty, they started to sting them, and I was just crying and crying and crying."
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In her subsequent video updates, Louaira shares that the flare-ups spread to the rest of her face and are "burning," adding that she still cannot laugh or smile because of the pain.
In a video reply to another TikTok user, Louaira says the flare-ups on her face were caused by ringworm, which she believed she got from someone who had previously used her makeup kit. Her video reply has since gone viral, garnering over 279,000 views and 23,000 likes.
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"I know sharing is caring but best believe I'm not letting anyone touch my makeup brushes, or my sponges, or any form of makeup again, because this is ringworms from someone who has clearly been using my stuff."
Story continues
"So if you're going to take anything from this video, go clean your makeup brushes, sponges, all of that," she says at the end of the video.
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Louaira's skin eventually started clearing up over a week after her first post about the issue, which she reveals in her more recent TikTok videos. She shares in one of her posts that she used terbinafine cream to help her skin heal.
Despite what its name suggests, ringworm is a type of fungal disease.
Although it is commonly known and referred to as ringworm because of the circular rashes it causes, the medical terms for it are "tinea" and "dermatophytosis."
Other names for the disease change depending on where it is in the body. "Athlete's foot," for example, is used when ringworm is on a person's feet.
Treatment for ringworm varies depending on the body part that is affected. Prescribed medicine and over-the-counter antifungal cream can typically help clear ringworm up in two to four weeks.
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