Itchy Foot Infection Could Be Athlete’s Foot
What is Athletes Foot?
Athletes foot is a fungal skin infection which presents itself as a red scaly rash at the plantar aspect of the foot. One foot only or both feet may be infected. The infection may affect the skin at the heel, arch, forefoot and between toes. As the fungus grows it spreads out in a circular shape, leaving normal looking skin in the middle. The skin will be lifting, due to the irritation, around the edge causing it to look like a ring. To some this circle shape may look like a worm and athletes foot is sometimes referred to as ringworm although there is no worm under your skin. The medical term for athletes foot is fungal skin infection or tinea pedis. The area may sometimes be quite itchy with dry red skin around the area. If left untreated, the fungal skin infection is contagious and may be transmitted to family members and to sport teammates.
The fungal skin infection may also spread to toenails; fungal nail infection or onychomycosis is much more difficult to eradicate. In fact, no topical medication as creams or lotions has been demonstrated as effective enough to treat that stubborn nail condition.
How is Athlete’s Foot treated?
Athletes foot can be treated effectively with the newest antifungal preparations especially formulated to get through the infected skin, fast and deep enough to be found in sufficient concentration to kill the fungi within a 3 to 6 week period.
At Ottawa Foot Clinic we have highly skilled meticulous foot technicians working in the setting of a world-class clinic of podiatric medicine under the supervision of foot doctors of podiatric medicine | chiropodists | foot specialists who have experience in dealing with fungal skin & nail infections and providing appropriate treatments for all levels of conditions. We can also help prevent fungal skin and nail recurrence as well as its dissemination to family members through cross contamination.
