Tinea pedis, also known as athlete’s foot, is an extremely common, highly contagious fungal infection of the skin which covers the feet. The fungi responsible for the infection thrive in warm, wet environments, and cause physically and visually unpleasant symptoms such as peeling, blistering, and itching. Determining the best tinea pedis treatment for you depends on the severity and duration of your infection. Mild infections may respond to over-the-counter treatments, while severe or stubborn cases may require prescription-strength drugs. For many people, prevention is the best tinea pedis treatment.
The fungi which cause tinea pedis thrive in warm, damp environments, making sweaty, shoe-enclosed feet an ideal home. Once these fungi have infected the foot, they can create a range of unpleasant symptoms in the outer layer of skin, including itching, burning, peeling, cracking, and blistering. As tinea pedis is extremely contagious, once you have become infected you can easily pass your infection along to others by walking barefoot over warm, wet surfaces, such as shower stalls and locker room floors.
Luckily, this condition is treatable. Determining the best tinea pedis treatment for you depends on the severity and duration of your infection. If your infection is mild or has cropped up only recently, it may respond to an over-the-counter antifungal treatment. These sprays, creams, and powders are generally applied to clean, dry feet once per day. Once your symptoms begin to clear up, you should continue applying your chosen treatment product for approximately one to two weeks to ensure that the infection is fully eliminated.
If your infection shows no sign of responding to over-the-counter products, you may need a prescription-strength tinea pedis treatment. Often, these products are stronger versions of the sprays, powders, and creams available in stores, and are applied in the same manner as those products. If your condition does not improve after using a prescription-strength topical treatment, your physician may prescribe an oral antifungal drug. While oral antifungal drugs may prove more effective in eliminating infection than topical products, they can cause side effects such as nausea and skin irritation. Therefore, physicians often regard oral antifungal treatments as a last resort.
For many people, prevention is the best tinea pedis treatment. Bathing regularly, going barefoot frequently, and changing one’s socks whenever they become sweaty can help keep the feet clean and dry, in turn discouraging fungi from gathering there. Further, wearing clean sandals while walking around in warm, humid public places such as pools and gym locker rooms can protect the feet from contact with the fungi which cause tinea pedis.