Tinea pedis
Preventing athlete's foot
You can reduce your risk of developing athlete's foot by:
- dryingyour feet gently but thoroughly after washing them, particularly the areas between your toes
- wearing cotton socks and roomy shoes made of natural materials such as leather this can allow your feet to "breathe"
- wear a fresh pair of socks, tights or stockings every day
- change your shoes every couple of days this allows them to dry out between uses
- not walking around barefoot in publicshowers and locker rooms
- not sharing towels, socks and shoes with other people, and ensuring your towels are washed regularly
- using talcum powder on your feet to stop them getting sweaty
- not using moisturiser between your toes, as this can help fungi multiply
If you or your child develops athlete's foot, there's no need to stay off work or school. Follow the advice above to reduce the risk of spreading the infection to others.
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018
Introduction
Read about athlete's foot, a common fungal infection of the foot. Find out about the symptoms, what causes it, and how it's treated.
Signs and symptoms of athlete's foot
Athlete's footmost commonlyaffects the skin between the toes or on the bottom of the feet. Affected areas of skin may be: dry, red, scaly and flaky white, soggy and cracked itchy sore cover
How do you get athlete's foot?
Athlete's foot is caused by fungi growing and multiplying on the skin. The fungi that cause the infection thrive inwarm, dark and moist places like feet. You're more likely to get athlete's foot if y
Treatments for athlete's foot
Athlete's foot is unlikely to get better on its own. It can usually be treated using antifungal treatments available from pharmacies without needing to see a GP. Antifungal treatments work by stoppi
Preventing athlete's foot
You can reduce your risk of developing athlete's foot by: dryingyour feet gently but thoroughly after washing them, particularly the areas between your toes wearing cotton socks and roomy shoes mad
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