Athlete’s foot is a very common skin infection of the feet. In North America, 10% of the population will have to deal with athlete’s foot at least once in their lifetime. It is caused by a fungus that is easily transmitted from one person to another, especially in areas where we may walk barefoot, like locker rooms and public showers. In addition, hot and tropical climates, and tight shoes with poor ventilation are all factors that favour the proliferation of this fungus.
You can usually spot athlete’s foot on your foot between the 4th and 5th toe, when the skin in that area is cracking and peeling, or when flaking skin appears on the underside of your feet.
Are you suffering from this infection? Do you wonder how you can treat your athlete’s foot? Below are four good lifestyle habits to adopt to help you get rid of athlete’s foot!
Maintain proper foot hygiene
The first thing you need to do to get rid of athlete’s foot is to adopt good hygiene habits for your feet. This includes washing your feet on a daily basis and drying them thoroughly, paying special attention to the areas between the toes.
Also ensure your feet stay dry throughout the day, and avoid humidity where your feet are concerned.
Use absorbent foot powder
To ensure you don’t develop athlete’s foot, you must keep your feet dry at all times. A good preventive measure to adopt is the use of an absorbent powder. It is easy to use, just sprinkle some of the powder in your shoes or apply on your whole foot, paying particular attention to the soles and between the toes.
The powder will absorb any excess foot perspiration while neutralizing foot odour.
Some absorbent foot powders are sold in combination with an antifungal molecule. This preventive method treats both excessive sweating and athlete’s foot.
Wear absorbent socks
Proper socks also play an important role in preventing athlete’s foot. In order to keep your feet dry and limit any humidity that might help the growth of fungus behind this infection, ensure you wear socks made from natural material like cotton or bamboo fibres. These socks will allow your feet to breathe properly and wick away any perspiration.
Apply an antifungal cream
If you have athlete’s foot, at your pharmacy you can find several antifungal creams available over the counter to help fight the fungus that is causing it. This treatment normally works for 80% of cases and should be followed for a period of 2 to 4 weeks.
However, some more severe, widespread and painful infections can persist regardless of the impeccable hygiene and good habits you adopt. In this case, you are best to seek the expertise of a podiatrist. Your podiatrist may prescribe a stronger anti-fungal cream and provide advice tailored specifically to your condition.