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Causes, Prevention and Treatment for Athlete’s Foot as Told by Your Dallas Podiatrist

Jul 14, 2016
Ninety-five percent of the U.S. population is not affected by athlete’s foot, and while that statistic provides the majority of us with some form of comfort, that means it does just the opposite for millions of other Americans.

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Ninety-five percent of the U.S. population is not affected by athlete’s foot, and while that statistic provides the majority of us with some form of comfort, that means it does just the opposite for millions of other Americans. Due to its prevalence, we have already identified what athlete’s foot is, but we also want to provide preventative measures for it. In order to figure out how to avoid the disease, we must first identify what causes it.

CAUSATION AND PREVENTION

Athlete’s foot is triggered by a handful of causes, but these facilitators are usually a result of physical activity, hence the namesake of the disease. These causations include:

  • A warm, dark and moist environment that promotes the growth of the fungi
  • Narrow, ill-fitting shoes because, again, fungi thrive in small, tight conditions
  • Plastic shoes because they heat and moisten feet more regularly than shoes made from other types of materials
  • Direct exposure of the feet to areas where the fungi bacteria may be present such as public showers, locker rooms and the areas around swimming pools
  • Exposure to someone who has the disease by sharing towels, socks, shoes and other articles of clothing with that person

Contraction of athlete’s foot is relatively straightforward, so implementing preventative measures aren’t much of a feat either. Preventing athlete’s foot comes in good hygiene practices such as:

  • Wearing flip-flops or shower shoes in public spaces like gyms, hotel rooms or when walking around pools
  • Keeping your feet dry as often as possible
  • Allowing wet shoes to dry twenty-four hours before wearing them again
  • Using antifungal creams and foot powders on your feet
  • Avoiding closed toe shoes if your feet are sweating or while indoors
  • Putting on clean socks everyday

By implementing the above tactics into your lifestyle habits, you can effectively stop athlete’s foot in its tracks before it ever begins. However, if you do contract the disease, contact your Dallas podiatrists as soon as possible for proper treatment of athlete’s foot.