The popularly known athlete’s foot, whose medical name is tinea pedis, is a fungal infection. Although the feet are where it most often appears, it can spread to the nails or even to other areas of the body, especially when touching the affected area and then other parts of the body.
The conditions of humidity, temperature, darkness and lack of ventilation in closed shoes favour its proliferation.
Contagion is common in humid and warm environments such as swimming pools, showers, changing rooms, etc. and is usually produced by stepping on the ground with bare feet. These spaces, often used by athletes, gave rise to its popular name, athlete’s foot.
This type of fungus is very easy to catch from infected surfaces, and quite difficult to eliminate, so you must take a series of measures to prevent its contagion and proliferation.
We give you 6 tips to avoid the appearance of athlete’s foot:
- In hot weather, use open footwear to ensure proper ventilation. During the rest of the year, wear shoes that allow optimal breathing. Try to avoid footwear covered in plastics or made with other synthetic materials.
- Dry your feet thoroughly when you get out of the shower. Pay special attention to drying between your toes, as moisture accumulates there and will make athlete’s foot appear more easily.
- Don’t share towels or shoes.
- Change your socks daily. This will ensure that your feet are dry and sweat does not accumulate. If your feet sweat a lot, you are recommended to change socks even more than once a day. You can also use drying powders inside the shoe to absorb excess moisture.
- Always use flip flops when you walk at swimming pools or public changing rooms, as these are places where it is very easy to catch the fungus.
- Periodically disinfect your footwear. The best way to keep this type of fungus at bay is to prevent it from proliferating. In this case, Shoe Disinfectant – Fresh Scent will be the definitive solution. Its use is exclusively for the inside of the shoe. Just spray it inside the shoe, leaving it to work for a few minutes until it dries. In this way you will kill 99.9% of bacteria and fungi. By eliminating bacteria you will also end with bad smells.
This series of tips will help you avoid athlete’s foot. Even so, if you notice its appearance on your feet, you are always recommended to go to your doctor for help and to prevent the problem from going further.