Athlete’s Foot & Fungal Skin Infection
Athletes foot is a common disorder affecting the skin across the feet and between the toes. The skin frequently infected is between the lesser toes where soft skin often develops that can peel away easily, along with associated redness and irritation. It often causes significant itching that causes you to aggressively scratch the area – leading to wounds, malodour, mild inflammation and spread of the infection to other areas. Often when the skin splits from itching, it becomes infected by bacteria, which for those patients who are medium to high risk – can lead to significant complications.
Atheletes foot is caused by a bacteria called Tinea pedis, but further infection to the skin can be causes by Trichophytum rubrum. Both thrive in warm, dark moist envirocments, making your skin the perfect place to grow and spread. These fungus types can cause redness and irritation to the plantar aspects of the feet, leading to earlier hard skin development and hypersensitivity of the skin itself.
Important factors that cause the infections to spread are:
- Regular use of the same occlusive footwear
- Regular sweating on the feet ( including hyperhidrosis)
- Failure to dry your feet properly
- Exposure to fungal spores in communal areas
At FootPro Podiatry we understand how this infection works, and how we can make sure you combat it. We can provide effective treatments to ensure the infection is treated swiftly and offer thorough advice on how to self care and manage the risks of re-infection.
Fungal toenails are more common as people get older but they can happen at any age. Fungal infections can cause unsightly disclouration and thickening of the toenails. Known as Onychomycosis, it can be caused by several strains of fungus spread by contact or within warm and moist environments e.g. gymnasium changing rooms or swimming pools. Early stages of an infection are not necessarily an issue, though spread across to other nails and continual thickening of the nails can cause discomfort. This can affect patients comfort when walking. Correct diagnosis is vital as other conditions that present similar to a fungal nails are:
- Psoriatic Nails
- Permanently damaged nails (Onychogryphosis)
- Eczema dermatitis
- Lichen Planus
At FootPro Podiatry we provide accurate diagnosis (including nail clipping test) and offer effective treatments. Along with this you will be issued professional management advice to benefit you in the long term and stop the spread and re infection of the fungus to your nails.