Causes of Athlete’s Foot
Athlete’s foot, which also goes by the name of tinea pedis, is a fungal infection that appears on the foot. The condition occurs because fungus grows on the feet. This fungus can be picked up from various places. It thrives in wet areas such as bathrooms, locker rooms, and shower rooms. There are two types of fungus that lead to the athlete’s foot condition. These are trichophyton mentagrophytes and trichophyton rubrum. Both of these types of fungi can cause different kinds of athlete’s foot infections. The condition is not rare whatsoever, in fact, about 70 percent of the human population will get it at some point in their lives.
The trichophyton mentagrophytes fungus causes the most common type of athlete’s foot condition, the toe web infection. It also causes the more severe, yet less common, vesicular infection that causes blisters to appear not only on the feet, but all over the body in some cases. Both of these types of athlete’s foot occur quickly and are easily treated. Trichophyton rubrum is the other form of fungus and is responsible for the moccasin type of athlete’s foot. This is a chronic, or long lasting, condition that is very difficult to treat. New outbreaks occur often with symptoms such as itching, burning, and scaling of the skin. The condition will spread to the entire foot in some cases, sometimes even affecting the hands.
Athlete’s foot can occur whenever the skin comes in contact with the fungi that are responsible for it. This fungus is most commonly found in warm, moist areas. The fungus can easily begin to grow on your skin, causing the athlete’s foot infection. The fungus grows on the topmost layer of the human skin. In some cases, but not all, a bacterial infection may occur as well. The toes are warm, moist areas that the fungus will often infect first. Because it is very difficult for the athlete’s foot fungi to form in dry areas, if you suffer from the condition often, you will be better off keeping your feet dry whenever it is possible.
Because of the fact that athlete’s foot is extremely contagious, it should come as no surprise to you that one of the major causes of the condition is contracting it from other people that have it. You may become infected with the condition by simply touching the affected area of an already infected person’s skin. More commonly however, you will contract it from the floors of public places where people who are infected with the condition have walked. Some people are simply more prone to get the condition than others. Some experts even agree that people may become more susceptible to the condition as they get older. One problem with this condition is that once you’ve contracted it, your chances of getting it again rise significantly. If you come in contact with a person who is infected with the condition, you may be able to pass it to others without having contracted it yourself.
Foot Care Tips
No matter what your age, it is always important that you take good care of your feet. Some common problems that can affect your feet include: disease, poor circulation, toenails that are not kept trimmed, and shoes that do not fit right. One thing you should know is that diseases and other medical conditions will often show symptoms first in your feet. Such diseases include: diabetes, arthritis, nerve disorders, and certain circulatory problems. It is also important that you always take good care of your feet. You should also be sure to have a podiatrist or other qualified doctor check your feet regularly. While these doctors are usually able to treat most conditions of the foot, sometimes the assistance of an orthopedic surgeon or a dermatologist is necessary.
One of the things you should be paying attention to is the circulation in your feet. It is very important that you keep the blood circulating in your feet as much as possible. Here are a few tips that you can make use of in order to increase foot circulation. First, when you are lying down, you may want to keep your feet somewhat elevated. You should do this when sitting as well. If you’ve been sitting for a long time, it is a good idea to get up and stretch on occasion. Walking is not only recommended because it is excellent exercise, but also because it is great for improving the circulation of your feet. You may also want to see a massage therapist that can provide you with a gentle foot massage. Finally, you will also find that taking a warm foot bath will work wonders as well.
There are also certain actions and activities that you will want to avoid doing in order to increase foot circulation. For example, do not wear shoes that do not fit right as they can cut off the circulation to your feet. Do not expose your feet to temperatures that are too cold either. Do your best not to sit in the same position for too long. This is especially true in cases when your legs are crossed. If you smoke, you are aware of the many dangers that this habit produces. Another one for the list is the fact that smoking causes circulation problems. This is another reason why you will find it beneficial for you to stop smoking. Once again, make sure you wear comfortable shoes as this can prevent numerous foot ailments.
There are numerous bacteria and fungal infections that may affect your feet. These include conditions such as athlete’s foot which may cause dry skin, redness, blisters, itching, peeling, as well as other symptoms. If this condition is not treated right away, it may spread and be more difficult to treat and prevent. The feet are also susceptible to warts, callousness, dry skin, corns, bunions, ingrown toenails, hammer toes, and various other conditions. You will find that simple foot care will keep these unwanted conditions from happening to you.
