How to Treat Athlete's Foot

This article tells how to care for athlete's foot.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Possibly an over-the-counter medication.
• Cotton socks

1. Athlete's foot is an infection that causes a rash and itching on the skin of the feet, especially between the toes. There are three kinds of athlete's foot. Each type looks different from the others.
   
   Athlete’s foot is caused by a fungus. Fungi grow in warm, wet places, such as between the toes. Athlete's foot is easy to get. You can catch it by touching the rash on another person or by going barefoot in or near swimming pools or locker rooms. If you come in contact with athlete’s foot fungi, you can spread it to others, whether you have it or not.

2. Athlete's foot symptoms may include:
   • Infection between the toes shown by skin that becomes scaly and cracks.
   • Moccasin-type infections may start with redness and itching and then become thickened, cracked skin on the bottom of the feet. The toenails can become infected and scaly.
   • Some infections begin with an outbreak of large blisters under the skin. The blisters may become infected.
   
   If you are not sure if you have athlete's foot, consult a doctor.

3. Prevention is an important part of treatment. Prevention includes allowing your feet to breathe, wearing shower sandals, and using powder on your feet. Keep your feet clean and dry, especially between the toes, since fungi need a damp or wet place to grow. Leather shoes work well because they breathe. Allow your shoes to air out on alternate days. Wear cotton socks without shoes at home and change them twice a day.

4. You can treat athlete's foot at home by putting antifungal medication on the skin. For some very bad cases, you may need to take prescription pills. Be sure to use the medication for the recommended time, because athlete's foot can be difficult to cure. Wash your hands thoroughly after putting on medication or powder or touching the infected areas. Fungal infections can spread to the groin or eyes.

5. Medications used to treat athlete’s foot include:
   • Nonprescription creams. These include terbinafine (Lamisil AT), miconazole (Micatin), clotrimazole (Lotrimin AF), and tolnaftate (Tinactin, Tinaderm).
   • Prescription creams are used if nonprescription creams are not successful or if you have a severe infection. These include naftifine (Naftin), butenafine (Mentax), miconazole (Monistat Derm), and clotrimazole (Lotrimin).
   • Griseofulvin is a prescription medication that stops the growth of athlete’s foot.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep athlete's foot from spreading to family members or roommates by spraying the bathtub or shower with an antimicrobial spray, such as Lysol, after use.