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Are you experiencing pain in your feet and wondering if you might have athlete’s foot, a skin fungus or fingernail fungus? Read on and you can gain helpful information about foot, skin and nail health.
Foot Fungus
Fungus thrives in moist, dark places. Unfortunately for many of us, that dark, moist place is often on our feet. Locker rooms, pools, and fitness centers tend to be excellent breeding grounds for fungus that can invade your feet.
Fungus can become especially problematic on the skin between your toes, where moisture is trapped after showers or wearing warm shoes. The humidity and heat found in the area between your toes can grow the fungus known as athlete’s foot, or be the receptor site for an existing fungus.
Skin Fungus
Athlete’s foot can be spread to other areas of the body as well. If a person with athlete’s foot touches the infected area then touches another part of their body, the fungus may spread. Again, warm, moist areas are most susceptible to fungal growth. Underarms and groin are two common areas that athlete’s foot is spread to.
Nail Fungus
The condition of athlete’s foot is not the same as a nail fungus. The same warm, moist areas that grow athlete’s foot, however, also support the growth of nail fungi. Nail fungus and athlete’s foot can definitely occur at the same time though.
The fungus that invades the toenails, called onychomycosis, can create white or yellow splotches on the nail and nail bed. Nail cracking, thickness, peeling and breaking from the skin are symptoms of this type of toenail fungus. Nail fungi is more commonly found on the toenails than fingernails due to increased exposure to warm, moist, dark environments (shoes, socks, showers, etc.).
Symptoms of Athlete’s Foot
You may experience some or all of the following symptoms if you have athlete’s foot:
- Burning on the soles of your feet
- Stinging on the soles of your feet
- Itching on the soles of your feet
- Itchy blisters
- Peeling and cracking skin, especially between your toes and on the bottom of your feet
- Very dry skin on the bottom of your feet
- Blisters that itch
- Pain and swelling from broken blisters
- Scaly skin
- Inflamed skin
Prevention and Treatment
Keeping feet dry and clean is the best prevention of athlete’s foot. Drying well between the toes after bathing or being in water along with maintaining dry, well ventilated shoes and socks can curb the growth of this fungus. Wearing shower shoes in public showers and/or fitness centers may help protect you from already existing athlete’s foot.
Treatment often is an over the counter antifungal topical ointment or cream. Persistent cases may require an oral antifungal medication as prescribed by a doctor.
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Athlete's Foot 
