How to best treat Athlete’s Foot?

Athlete’s foot can happen to anyone not just athletes like its name, and it is much more common than you think. 15 – 25% of people have athlete’s foot at one point in their life. The main culprit for this problem is fungus. The most common symptoms of athlete’s foot are red rashes, itchy scaling or cracked area between toes and bottom of feet. With that being said, even though it can get really annoying, athlete’s foot is definitely treatable.

1.      Treat with Anti-fungal creams

There are many anti-fungal topical creams out there on the market that you can easily purchase to immediately start your athlete’s foot treatment. Notable products out there are Lotrimin, Derman, or Fugacil. Applying in between all toes or the bottom of your feet continuously for 2-4 weeks usually will get rid of athlete’s foot

2.      Soaks your feet in bleach water

You have to be careful with the amount of bleach you mix in because it can burn your skin if you put too much. No more than 1 tablespoon with half a gallon of water is highly recommended. Doing so for 10 minutes every night will help killing the fungus.

3.      Let your feet breath

It is greatly advised to let your feet air out as much as possible while having athlete’s foot but not walking barefoot. If you live in the area that is not too cold and can wear open-toed shoes, it is a good idea to do so as well as rotating your shoes and don’t wear the same one two days in a row. Preventing your feet from being trapped will speed up the recovery process.

4.      Watch out your sweat

Moist environments are where fungus thrive the most.  That’s why athletes tend to get fungal infection more than normal because they sweat excessively on a daily basis. Keep your feet as dry as possible by using anti-fungal powder. Putting it on your feet before putting your socks on to keep them dry. Change your socks every day and carry extra pairs with you in case you sweat a lot. Use soap and water to wash your feet regularly.

5.      Don’t walk barefoot

Walking barefoot in public places will increase the chance of getting infected as well as recurrence. Make sure you have at least a slippers with you when you go to the gym, swimming pool, hotel showers, locker room, etc. Avoid walking barefoot even in your own home to prevent recurrence.

6.      Bleach your shower and socks

Bleach the bottom of your shower or tub once a week is greatly advised. Also, bleach your socks routinely every week will help preventing reinfection of athlete’s foot.

7.      Treat people around you

Athlete’s foot is contagious therefore if you live or have physical contact with anyone, make sure to get them treated as well. The battle with athlete’s foot is mainly about preventing recurrence and not so much of treatment.

6 Things Everyone Should Know About Jock Itch

First and foremost, unlike the common misinformation that jock itch only happens to athletes, you’re not immune! Jock itch can happen to anyone. The most common symptom is itchiness around the genital area (jock, inner thighs, balls, etc.). Even though it is not severe, jock itch can get extremely annoying and that’s why you need to know about these important 6 things.

1.  Jock itch is a type of fungal infection around the groin or inner thighs area. Its symptoms are itchiness and rashes similar to Athlete’s Foot.

The rashes are usually marked with a scaly texture of itchy bumps that might resemble blisters. The rashes might has a red or red-brown color.

Itchiness is the most common symptom of jock itch, but sometimes it doesn’t appear. In some cases, the infection only appears as red rashes. Keep in mind that it is normal for the rash to appear on one side of the body and not the other.

2. Men are usually the victims, but women can be affected too.

Jock itch is a lot more common than people think. Doctors’ report seeing people with jock itch infection on a weekly basis. Keep in mind that it does not discriminate based on gender so both men and women can be infected.

3. Jock itch fungus flourishes in moist environments.

Dermatophyte  & Candida are the most commonly types of fungus and yeast that cause jock itch, and they thrive best in environments that contain moisture. In other words, your sweat plays a big role in your likeliness of getting jock itch.That’s the reason why, as you would have figured by now, athletes tend to get infected with jock itch because they sweat excessively on a daily basis. On top of that, athletes usually wear tight clothes (gym clothes, wok-out clothes, etc.) that potentially hold and trap the sweat in the groin area.

It also explains why men tend to get jock itch more than women because they usually sweat more in that area. Men’s crotch area are usually more “crowded” than women therefore excessive build-ups of extra moisture can happen.

4.  Jock itch is contagious. It can even spread from your feet to your crotch.

Most of the time when people have jock itch, they already have some other fungal infection on their feet (athlete’s foot). It is very easy to transfer the fungus from your feet to your groin area especially with underwear.

Jock itch fungus can also transfer through physical contact with the affected area or objects. For example, sharing sheets, clothes, towels, athletic gears, etc. might lead to higher exposure to infection

5.  Go see a Dermatologist if you think you have jock itch.

There are other infections and allergies that have the same or similar symptoms as jock itch therefore seeing a dermatologist to clarify is very important.

6.  Over-the-counter anti-fungal topical cream and powder can help relieve the infection.

There are many products out there that can certainly help you fight fungal infection such as Lotrimin, Lamisil, or Fugacil. Maintaining the dryness over the infected area is also essential and can be done by using powder like Zeasorb.

Treatment on the foot is also needed to prevent recurrence