Athlete's Foot
Medical Author: Nili N. Alai, MD, FAAD
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
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How to Prevent Athlete's Foot
Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
 Athlete's foot, medically known as tinea pedis, is a
fungal infection of the skin of the feet. Despite its name, athlete's foot can
affect anyone and is not
restricted to those who play sports or participate in physical exercise. It is
estimated that up to 70% of the population will have athlete's foot at some time
in their lives.
Symptoms of athlete's foot include dry skin, itching, burning, and redness of
the feet. The symptoms are often apparent in the skin between the toes, where
the infection usually starts. Blistering, peeling, cracking of the skin, and
bleeding may occur. Sometimes the affected skin can appear white and wet on the
surface.
The fungus that causes
athlete's foot can be found on floors and clothing, and the organisms require a
warm, dark, and humid environment in order to grow. The infection spreads by
direct contact with contaminated surfaces or objects. As the infection spreads,
it may affect the soles of the feet or the toenails. The affected skin is also
more vulnerable to bacteria that cause skin infection (cellulitis). This is
particularly common in persons with diabetes, the elderly,
and people with impaired function of the immune system.
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What is athlete's foot?
Athlete's foot is a very common skin infection of the foot caused by fungus. The fungus that commonly causes athlete's foot is called
Trichophyton. When the feet or other areas of the body stay moist, warm, and irritated, this fungus can thrive and infect the upper layer of the skin. Fungal infections can occur anywhere on the body, including the scalp, trunk, extremities (arms and legs), hands, feet, nails, groin, and other areas.
Athlete's foot is caused by the ringworm fungus ("tinea" in medical jargon). Athlete's foot is also called tinea pedis. The fungus that causes athlete's foot can be found on many locations, including floors in gyms, locker rooms, swimming pools, nail salons, and in socks and clothing. The fungus can also be spread directly from person to person or by contact with these objects.
However, without proper growing conditions (a warm, moist environment), the fungus may not easily infect the skin. Up to 70% of the population may have athlete's foot at some time during their lives.
What are the symptoms of athlete's foot?
The symptoms of athlete's foot typically include various degrees of itching and burning. The skin may frequently peel, and in particularly severe cases, there may be some cracking, pain, and bleeding as well. Some people have no symptoms at all and do not know they have an infection.
What does athlete's foot look like?
Athlete's foot may look like red, peeling, dry skin areas on one or both soles of the feet. Sometimes the dry flakes may spread onto the sides and tops of the feet. Most commonly the rash is localized to just the soles of the feet. The space between the
fourth and fifth toes also may have some moisture, peeling, and dry flakes.
There are three common types of athlete's foot.
1. soles of the feet, also called "moccasin" type
2. between the toes, also called "interdigital" type
3. inflammatory type or blistering
Unusual cases may look like small or large blisters of the feet (called bullous tinea pedis), thick patches of dry, red skin, or calluses with redness. Sometimes, it may look like just mild dry skin without any redness or inflammation.
Athlete's foot may present as a rash on one or both feet and even involve the hand. This is a very common presentation of athlete's foot. Hand fungal infections are called tinea manuum. The exact cause of why the infection commonly only affects one hand is not known.
Athlete's foot may also be seen along with ringworm of the groin (especially in men) or hand(s). It is helpful to examine the feet whenever there is a fungal groin rash called tinea cruris. It is important to treat all areas of fungal infection at one time to avoid re-infection.
Next: Is athlete's foot contagious? »
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