Athlete’s Foot Aka Tinea Pedis, Risk Factors and Symptoms
Athleteâs foot aka Tinea Pedis, is a foot infection caused by fungi known as Dermatophytes. The fungi infect the outer layer of the skin that has died off.
The fungi that cause athleteâs foot thrive in environments that are warm, dark and moist. Generally the infection, although common, is usually harmless. Before humans started wearing shoes the condition was not widely known.
Here are some of the risk factors and causes associated with athleteâs foot. As this fungus requires an environment that is moist and warm, the wearing of shoes and socks that are not well ventilated, and that could harbor perspirations, are ideal for the Dermatophytes to quickly multiply and cause you to suffer athleteâs foot.
If you come into contact with surfaces that have the fungus on them, such as the floors of locker rooms, showers and swimming pools, you could contract the disease. You may have figured out already this most common source of the infection was what lead to Tinea Pedis being called athleteâs foot. There are other ways to come in contact with the fungus such as wearing the shoes of someone who suffers from it.
The typical symptoms of athleteâs foot can include peeling and scaling of the skin between the toes. This often does not have pain, itching or odor associated with it. The infection may also present on the bottom of the foot in the “moccasin pattern” with blistering, redness and scaling on the soles and possibly on the up side of the foot.
If the condition is not treated, a secondary infection caused by bacteria could develop. The fungus can set off a reaction in the cells that causes the tissue to breakdown; resulting in skin that is soggy, and areas between the toes that can become eroded and weakened. In very serious cases, webbing between the toes will become soft, white, and soggy; causing severe itching that maybe accompanied by a foul smell. If the condition gets worse, the skin in the webbing may crack and even ooze which provides the entry for opportunistic bacteria causing the secondary infections.
If you already have a condition that compromises your immune system, or you have diabetes, with difficulty fighting off infections and you contract Tinea Pedis you are at risk of developing a serious case of athleteâs foot. This can also provide an easy path for secondary infections from other organisms.
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If your feet develop serious redness or swelling, or areas of pus, or they hurt badly you should contact a health care provider or you can use the natural remedies href=”http://www.brenfisher.com/yeast/”>you can access here to prevent this from happening.
Bren Fisher
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