Athletes Foot
CAUSES
Athletes foot also known as Tinea Pedis is caused by a contagious dermatophyte that thrives in warm, moist places such as the toe boxes of shoes. If there is a small crack in the skin the fungus (Tinea Rubrum) can enter the area and will begin to grow out of control leading to a dry, red, itchy, scaly rash on the bottoms and sides of the feet. If the spaces between toes become infected the fungi is called Tinea Mentagrophytes.
DIAGNOSIS
Most commonly athletes foot diagnosis can be made by looking at the appearance of the rash and the areas infected. Most commonly red, dry, cracking, itchy skin will be present on the soles of the feet. If the space between the toes is macerated meaning wet and white then it has a possible infection requiring a topical antibiotic. If lesions have been present for a long period of time a skin biopsy or swab of the web space is recommended to obtain an exact diagnosis of the cause.
TREATMENT
At Mofas we recommend prescription creams and sometimes pills that have been successfully used over the last 20 years and have been on the market for over 40 years. We also recommend you spray the toe box of your shoes with lysol spray once a week and change your socks daily. If your feet sweat profusely then you should change your socks twice a day and use anti-fungal powders. There are also ultraviolet lamps to help rid your shoes of all fungi that can be used periodically to cleanse the inside of the shoes.
