Diagnostics
What does the doctor do to verify the athlete’s foot signs? In addition to the optical findings and the complaints expressed by the person affected such as itching, redness, scaling, a laboratory examination is essential. Sufficient sample material is taken from the edge of the scaly skin area to examine it directly under a microscope.
If living pathogens can be detected there, the test is considered positive. A fungal infection is confirmed.If the image under the microscope is uncertain, the doctor can also grow a fungal culture. If the fungus grows after a certain time on the artificial medium, this is also evidence of a fungal infection.
Risk factors
If you have any of the above symptoms and one or more of the following risk factors, please consult your doctor. You are very likely to have a athlete’s foot infection and need the right treatment. The risk factors include:
- Family disposition
- Foot malpositions
- Use of public bathing facilities or use of public changing rooms
- Occlusive effect by wearing tight shoes (sports shoes)
- Male sex
- Traumas
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Diabetes Mellitus (blood sugar disease)
- Circulatory problems.
Prophylaxis
Prevention of athlete’s foot is so important because even a single flake of skin is enough to transmit an athlete’s foot infection. To prevent athlete’s foot specifically, there are a number of strategies. On the one hand, you have to be especially careful in places where you go barefoot, such as swimming pools, common rooms, changing rooms, hotel rooms, showers or saunas.
There is a high level of humidity and a warm climate there, which the pathogen can use to multiply. Bath slippers are therefore advisable. It is also advisable to use a separate towel when drying off the spaces between the toes and feet, especially after a visit to the swimming pool, in order to avoid carry-over.
Furthermore, the pathogen can penetrate the skin much more easily through the wet, softened skin after swimming. Therefore, one should dry the feet well after swimming and also not leave out the spaces between the toes. In addition, towels should be washed regularly, as the pathogen can also collect in wet towels.
Another advantage of athlete’s foot is that shoes that are not sufficiently breathable are not sufficiently breathable. This is where foot sweat can collect particularly well and create a good environment for athlete’s foot to thrive. Therefore, one should also change shoes regularly.
In addition, regular foot hygiene is important to avoid athlete’s foot in the long term. One should always pay attention to changes in the feet. Injuries, for example, make it easier for pathogens to penetrate the skin.
A further measure can be to improve the blood circulation of the feet by regular foot gymnastics to keep athlete’s foot away. It is also important not to ignore conspicuous skin areas on the feet. Itching or white coatings should be an urgent warning sign for athlete’s foot.
The earlier the fungus is treated, the easier it is to fight it. A special danger for athlete’s foot exists with the illness of diabetes, the diabetes disease. The immune system is weakened and the skin can also be damaged, making the development and spread of a fungus more likely.
Diabetics should therefore have their feet examined by a doctor on a regular basis and take the aforementioned preventive measures. A further myth are foot disinfection plants, these are allegedly to protect against athlete’s foot, provide however rather for an increased foot fungus danger! The reason for this is on the one hand the too short exposure time of the disinfection in such plants.
In addition, the substances in the systems can trigger allergies and change the skin flora. This weakens the skin’s defense system and makes it easier for pathogens to penetrate. A further strategy for prevention are special foot care products, these are alcoholic and prevent the pathogen from multiplying. There are also numerous anti-fungal sprays or powders.
