Athlete’s foot disease
Athlete’s foot is a fungal disease affecting the skin, which is widespread, with 50% of the population, and is more common in men and adolescents. This disease is also called tinea pedis. This disease causes fungal infections called dermatophytes. These fungi include three strains: trichophyton, epidermophyton, and microsporum. It is characteristic of these fungi that they attack the skin and live on it, so feed on keratin, a building protein found in the skin and nails and hair.
The fungus affects the feet especially between the fingers, especially between the fourth and fifth fingers. The reason for the label is that it usually affects a person who wears long-sleeved sports shoes or who walks in barefoot public swimming pools but does not necessarily have to be a mathematician.
Symptoms of athlete’s foot disease
The athlete’s foot disease causes pain, severe itching and burning sensation, and the skin in the affected area can be scaly and bleeding, or pimples with pus and other secretions may appear on it. These symptoms depend mainly on the type and severity of the disease, where athlete’s foot disease is classified into three types:
- Interdigital infection: It is the most common species. It appears in the form of skin flaking and abrasion. The area appears white. If not treated, the disease develops into the second type.
- Moccasin-type infection: This type affects the soles of the foot, and may spread to the sides and comb of the foot, and can also affect nails, and the incidence of this type is chronic, and need oral antifungal drugs.
- Vesiculobullous-type infection: This type is less common than the previous types, and in the form of blisters usually appear on the instep, but can affect any other area of the foot, and may accompany this type of bacterial infections, and the incidence of In the summer.
- Complications of athlete’s foot disease may be transmitted to other areas of the skin such as the thigh and scalp, and the disease can be accompanied by secondary bacterial infections.
Ways to contagious athlete ‘s foot disease
The foot of the athlete’s foot is easily contagious, transmitted by contact with the fingers or feet of an infected person, although the infection usually occurs indirectly when using public places and walking barefoot, especially if these places are moist and warm, On the growth of fungi, such as public swimming pools, changing rooms, and gymnasiums.
Someone who is exposed to these fungus can also transmit it to someone else, even if he is not infected, as some people are more susceptible than others. People with low immunity such as diabetics, AIDS patients and chemotherapy patients are more likely to develop athlete’s foot disease, as well as those who wear long boots, especially if they are narrow and do not allow ventilation to enter the air.
Diagnosis of athlete’s foot disease
It is possible to diagnose the athlete’s foot disease easily by the doctor depending on the set of symptoms and the history of the disease in advance, but if the symptoms are unusual or in the case of non-response to treatment, the doctor takes a sample of skin from the affected area, and examined the microscope directly after the addition of 10% of potassium hydroxide ( KOH) to the sample, and to confirm the diagnosis, a sample of infected skin is also done for two weeks.
Ways to prevent athlete’s foot disease
To prevent athlete’s foot disease, follow the correct health guidelines, which are as follows:
- Keep the feet clean and dry after washing them.
- Do not wear socks for a long time, preferably wear cotton socks; they absorb moisture.
- Wear comfortable and tight shoes, allowing some air to move inside, such as leather shoes.
- Avoid an individual walking barefoot in public places.
- Avoid using common tools, such as nail scissors.
- Avoid sharing sports tools, such as sports shoes and towels.
- Wash clothes with warm water, sterilized well to eliminate fungus.
Cure athlete’s foot disease
The treatment of athlete’s foot disease is easy and does not require much effort. The patient should take a set of guidelines to speed up the treatment and not to repeat the infection, such as avoiding the scratching of the affected area, using a powder to absorb the moisture and avoiding the use of corn starch powder. On their growth, also wash and dry the feet and personal care.
In addition to previous instructions on the patient to use antifungal ointments consult a doctor or pharmacist, to treat the affected area. Choosing the right medicine depends on the type of infection.
- For rheumatism, topical ointments containing azol compounds, such as miconazole, clotrimazole, and allylamine compounds such as terbinafine and tolnaftate, are used once to twice daily, Four weeks, except for trypanafine, is used for only one week, so it is considered the first and least expensive option to treat athlete’s foot disease.
- The dandruff is treated with oral fungicide and contains one of the following active agents: fluconazole, itraconazole, trbinafine or Griseofulvin.
- The third type of ringworm needs to be treated with topical antifungal agents, as well as oral therapy. In the case of secondary bacterial infection, the patient needs an antibiotic as well as antifungal agents.