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Athlete’s Foot Conditions and Treatments to Cure It
Skin Condition – Athlete’s Foot (Tinea Pedis)
Athlete’s foot is a contagious infection caused by a fungus that grows on your skin. It causes skin rash on one or both of our feet and is common for people to experience.
Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis) is a form of ringworm. Tinea means ringworm, and pedis means your foot or feet. Your skin may look irritated, scaly, or flaky and feel itchy. Athlete’s foot between your toes is the most common, but it can also affect your feet’ top, heels or soles (bottom).
Athlete's Foot Causes
Some athlete’s foot causes include sharing towels, socks or shoes with someone who has it.
Fungus needs warm temperatures and moisture to grow. As you often wear socks and shoes, which keep your feet warm and moist, it’s the perfect environment for athlete’s foot to grow.
Athlete’s foot spreads through skin-to-skin contact with an infected surface or contact with a flake of skin from someone with athlete’s foot. You can catch it in areas where people walk around barefoot, such as locker rooms, swimming pools and saunas.
Athlete’s foot can affect anyone. But you’re more likely to get it if you’re male, over 60 years of age, if you have diabetes, a weakened immune system or if you have sores or tissue damage on your feet.
Athlete's Foot Symptoms
Athlete’s foot symptoms depend on the type of athlete’s foot that you have and can affect one or both of your feet. Some common signs and symptoms are similar to other symptoms of a fungal infection.
Common symptoms for athlete's foot on toes or athlete's foot between toes
- Blisters on your foot or feet.
- Burning or stinging on the affected area.
- Scaly, peeling or cracked skin between or on your toes.
- Itchiness, especially right after you take off your shoes and socks.
- Irritated skin that might look reddish, greyish or purplish.
More specific athlete's foot symptoms:
A toe web infection is one of the most common types of athlete’s foot infection. It usually affects the skin between your fourth and pinky toes. Your skin in the affected area may crack, peel or change colour (reddish, greyish or purplish).
Other types include:
- A moccasin-type infection impacts the bottoms and edges of your feet and your heels. Your feet may feel sore for a few days, and the skin at the bottom gets thicker and cracks. In rarer cases, your toenails may get infected and thicken, break into pieces and then fall out.
- A vesicular-type infection usually affects the bottom of your feet but may show up anywhere on them. You will notice bumps or fluid-filled blisters in the affected area(s).
- The rarest type of infection is an ulcerative infection. Open sores appear between your toes and sometimes on the bottom of your feet.
Athlete's Foot Treatment
Athlete’s foot usually doesn’t go away on its own. Left untreated, it may spread to your nails, hands (usually from scratching your infection), and groin (from using a towel to dry off after showing).
LMC Chiropodists usually recommend home care, routine nail care and, in some cases, topical creams.
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Home Care Advice
Some basic steps to reduce symptoms include keeping your feet dry, clean, and cool. Don’t wear socks or shoes when possible, and avoid scratching your feet to ensure the fungus doesn’t spread.
Some other things to try at home include:
- Change your socks regularly, at least once or twice a day, depending on how sweaty your feet get.
- Wear light, well-ventilated shoes. Don't wear shoes made of synthetic material, such as rubber, that will make your feet hotter.
- If possible, alternate shoes daily to allow them to dry in-between wears.
- Wear waterproof sandals or shoes around public showers, pools and locker rooms.
Routine Nail Care with Your Chiropodist
LMC Chiropodists provide services to promote healthy skin on your feet and toenails to reduce the likelihood of worsening symptoms or for prevention. Nail and skin care are essential for preventing and treating fungal infections.
All our chiropodist treatments use medical-grade products and newly sterilized instruments for each person. Sterilization removes and kills fungi, bacteria and viruses.
In more advanced cases of athlete’s foot, you may need a nail debridement. It involves removing infected parts of the toenail and surrounding tissue and applying an antifungal ointment on the fungus growing under the nail.
Topical Prescription Creams
If your athlete’s foot doesn’t respond to self-care at-home treatments and over-the-counter creams, you may need a prescription-strength cream or ointment. If you have a more serious infection, you may need an antifungal pill, or you might need to use both.
Why Choose LMC
We are part of one of Canada’s largest teams of Medical Specialists and treat the most complex foot conditions, such as diabetic wounds, daily. It makes simple cases such as athlete’s foot, heel pain (plantar fasciitis) and plantar warts easily handled by our experts.
Trail Blazers
LMC Healthcare has one of the largest research divisions in North America, Centricity Research. Our Chiropodists (Footcare Specialists) have the opportunity to participate in cutting-edge foot health research and new treatment approaches.
Members of the Approved Provider Network (APN)
LMC Healthcare is one of a handful of the most skilled and trusted footcare providers included in the APN. It allows us to be exclusive providers for various hospitals and insurance companies in Ontario.
Collaborative and Convenient Approach
While a referral is not required to see our Chiropodists, we keep your family physician informed every step of the way with assessment and treatment summaries.
You also never have to wait long for an appointment! We have eight easily accessible locations in Ontario. Brampton, Vaughan, Oakville, Scarborough, Etobicoke, Midtown Toronto, Barrie, Ottawa, with more coming soon.
Contact Us About Your Foot or Heel Pain
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Helping you understand and ease your foot or heel pain
Helping you understand and ease your foot or heel pain
Do you have questions about your foot health? Call us today to find out how our specialists can help!
Phone: 1-844-562-3668
Easily book an appointment online with one of our specialists today to help with your foot health needs
Email us to set up an appointment and find out how our specialists can help improve your foot health!
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