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What
is it?
You do not have to be a member of
a sports team to get athlete’s foot. In fact you don’t even have to play a
sport. The condition itself usually results from an overgrowth of a
particular fungus organism. In most cases, the areas between the toes and
the arch of the foot are most often involved. Athlete’s foot may appear in
different stages, each with its own presentation. For instance, the acute
stage may have blisters or have intense itching. In addition, there may be
maceration between the toes; and occasional drainage. The chronic condition
is characterized more by a dry and scaly appearance and rarely itches. There
is some confusion as to how this skin condition can be transmitted but at
the present time, the consensus of opinion is that there is some type of
contagious capacity. In short, you might be able to catch it from the next
guy or gal, so watch your barefoot walking! Occasionally, an athlete’s foot
condition will become infected and require more extensive therapy. In
actuality, the threat of subsequent infection is probably a prime reason for
treating more aggressively the earlier stage of the condition. One might
think what is really so bad about a little itching between the toes. Well,
by itself, probably not a whole lot. But in those cases where that little
itching develops into a more involved complication, then we might be facing
a more serious problem which might require a more extensive treatment plan.
How
do you treat it?
The
treatment for athlete’s foot depends on the severity of the condition. At
the first sign of an athlete’s foot condition, I would recommend a short
trial period of a medicinal preparation available at the pharmacy in spray
or cream varieties. Following several days use, if the condition persists, I
would recommend a visit to the foot specialist. If you have a lower stage
infection a stronger topical cream or gel might work. Infections between
the toes are a little harder to treat because the area stays moist. This
might require a gel and possibly occlusion with saran wrap at night. The
vesicular form of athele’s foot is the hardest to treat. Sometime oral
medication is used to jump start the treatment. The vesicular form is very
contagious and you need to protect those around you. Proper diagnosis and
treatment is needed to prevent these conditions from becoming more serious.
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