Athlete's foot

This article is about the fungal disease. For the athletic footwear company, see The Athlete's Foot.
"Foot Fungus" redirects here. For the song, see Foot Fungus (song).

Athlete's foot
Other namesTinea pedis, ringworm of the foot,[1] moccasin foot[2]
A severe case of athlete's foot.
SpecialtyDermatology, Infectious disease
SymptomsItching, scaling, redness of the foot[3]
CausesFunguses (Trichophyton, Epidermophyton, Microsporum)[4]
Diagnostic methodBased on symptoms, confirmed by culture or microscopy[4]
PreventionAvoiding walking barefoot in public showers, keeping toenails short, wearing big enough shoes, changing socks daily[4][5]
TreatmentAntifungal medication applied to the skin or taken by mouth[2][4]
Frequency15% of the population[2]

Athlete's foot, known medically as tinea pedis, is a common skin infection of the feet caused by a fungus.[2] Signs and symptoms often include itching, scaling, cracking and redness.[3] In rare cases the skin may blister.[6] Athlete's foot fungus may infect any part of the foot, but most often grows between the toes.[3] The next most common area is the bottom of the foot.[6] The same fungus may also affect the nails or the hands.[4] It is a member of the group of diseases known as tinea.[7]

Athlete's foot is caused by a number of different funguses,[3] including species of Trichophyton, Epidermophyton, and Microsporum.[4] The condition is typically acquired by coming into contact with infected skin, or fungus in the environment.[3] Common places where the funguses can survive are around swimming pools and in locker rooms.[8] They may also be spread from other animals.[5] Usually diagnosis is made based on signs and symptoms; however, it can be confirmed either by culture or seeing hyphae using a microscope.[4]

Athlete's foot is not limited to just athletes: it can be caused by going barefoot in public showers, letting toenails grow too long, wearing shoes that are too tight, or not changing socks daily.[4][5] It can be treated with topical antifungal medications such as clotrimazole or, for persistent infections, using oral antifungal medications such as terbinafine.[2][4] Topical creams are typically recommended to be used for four weeks.[4] Keeping infected feet dry and wearing sandals also assists with treatment.[3]

Athlete's foot was first medically described in 1908.[9] Globally, athlete's foot affects about 15% of the population.[2] Males are more often affected than females.[4] It occurs most frequently in older children or younger adults.[4] Historically it is believed to have been a rare condition that became more frequent in the 20th century due to the greater use of shoes, health clubs, war, and travel.[10]

  1. ^ Rapini RP, Bolognia JL, Jorizzo JL (2007). Dermatology: 2-Volume Set. St. Louis: Mosby. p. 1135. ISBN 978-1-4160-2999-1.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Bell-Syer SE, Khan SM, Torgerson DJ (October 2012). Bell-Syer SE (ed.). "Oral treatments for fungal infections of the skin of the foot". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 10 (10): CD003584. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003584.pub2. PMC 7144818. PMID 23076898.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Hygiene-related Diseases". CDC. 24 December 2009. Archived from the original on 30 January 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Kaushik N, Pujalte GG, Reese ST (December 2015). "Superficial Fungal Infections". Primary Care. 42 (4): 501–516. doi:10.1016/j.pop.2015.08.004. PMID 26612371.
  5. ^ a b c "People at Risk for Ringworm". CDC. 6 December 2015. Archived from the original on 7 September 2016.
  6. ^ a b "Symptoms of Ringworm". CDC. 6 December 2015. Archived from the original on 20 January 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  7. ^ Moriarty B, Hay R, Morris-Jones R (July 2012). "The diagnosis and management of tinea". BMJ. 345 (7): e4380. doi:10.1136/bmj.e4380. PMID 22782730. S2CID 38106083.
  8. ^ Hawkins DM, Smidt AC (April 2014). "Superficial fungal infections in children". Pediatric Clinics of North America. 61 (2): 443–455. doi:10.1016/j.pcl.2013.12.003. PMID 24636655.
  9. ^ Homei A, Worboys M (2013). Fungal disease in Britain and the United States 1850–2000 : mycoses and modernity. Springer. p. 44. ISBN 9781137377036.
  10. ^ Ghannoum M, Perfect JR, eds. (2009). Antifungal Therapy. New York: Informa Healthcare. p. 258. ISBN 9780849387869.