Woman in shorts wearing white sneakers tying shoe

Athlete's foot

You don’t have to be an athlete to suffer from athlete’s foot as it can affect anyone!

Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis) is a fungal foot infection that is primarily caused by a type of fungi known as dermatophytes.¹ This foot fungus thrives in warm and moist environments, such as changing rooms and showers, shoes and socks or sweaty feet.² Thus, they can feel right at home between your toes, but can also affect the soles and sides of your feet.

Athlete’s foot symptoms

You might be suffering from athlete’s foot if you experience:

An itchy, burning sensation in your toes and feet
Scaly, very dry, cracked or peeling skin
Splitting, softening or whitening skin between toes
Cracking skin between the toes, on the soles, or on your heels
Smelly feet ^3,4

You can also experience more severe symptoms, such as:

Vesicles on the skin
Inflammation of cracked skin ⁵
Foul odour

Understanding athlete's foot

The most important thing you need to know about athlete’s foot is that it’s contagious. You can easily catch the infection through skin-to-skin contact or through direct physical contact with contaminated surfaces.⁶ If left untreated, it is much more likely to return, and the fungus can spread to other areas of your body ⁷, or to your loved ones. Athlete's foot can also lead to bad foot odour.

Athlete's foot treatment

An effective antifungal medication is the best treatment for athlete's foot. Purchase products that treat this foot infection over the counter at your local pharmacy, or order them online.⁸

Topical treatments are easy to apply and target the main types of fungi that cause athlete's foot. You can also choose to use a concomitantly mild corticosteroid that treats athlete's foot (e.g. hydrocortisone).⁹

Discover Canesten

Preventing athlete's foot

Facts about athlete's foot

REFERENCES:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/athletes-foot/
Introduction and Athletics-specific risk factors in: Field, L.A. & Adams B.B., Tinea pedis in athletes, in: International Journal of Dermatology 2008, 47, p.485
Check if you have athlete's foot, in: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/athletes-foot/
Tinea Pedis, in: Hainer, B.L., Dermatophyte Infections, in: American Family Physician 2003, vol. 67, Number 1
Ibid
How you get athlete’s foot, in: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/athletes-foot/
Check if you have athlete's foot, in: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/athletes-foot/
A pharmacist can help with athlete's foot, in: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/athletes-foot/
What to do, in: Tinea Pedis, Tinea Cruris,Tinea Corporis , in: Buttaravoli, P., Minor Emergencies, 2012, Elsevier Saunders, p. 733
How you can help treat and prevent athlete's foot yourself, in: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/athletes-foot/
Ibid
How you get athlete's foot, in: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/athletes-foot/
Check if you have athlete's foot, in: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/athletes-foot/
How you can help treat and prevent athlete's foot yourself, in: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/athletes-foot/

Athlete's foot

Athlete’s foot symptoms

Understanding athlete's foot

Athlete's foot treatment

Discover Canesten

Canesten

Preventing athlete's foot

Facts about athlete's foot

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