As the days heat up and we head into the Summer, many of us suddenly seem to remember that the appendages at the end of our legs need some love and care too. Feet are so often forgotten and neglected until we are getting ready to put them on show, whether that’s wearing snazzy new sandals, picnics in the park or walking on a beach.
However, it’s not just the aesthetics of our feet we need to pay some attention to at this time, but also to their health. The warm summer weather often makes Athlete’s Foot (tinea pedis) and other fungal or bacterial infections much worse as the heat and the moisture from extra perspirations creates the ideal habitat for growth. For those with eczema, dermatitis or psoriasis the risks rise further. Broken skin for any reason damages the skin barrier and increases the risk of infection particularly if the skin is itchy and leads to scratching.
Data from a recent real-world study, undertaken on behalf of Typharm - the brains behind the Nystaform range of prescribed creams and ointments for fungal and bacterial infections like athlete’s foot - have revealed that three quarters of people affected by skin conditions (77%) say they become concerned when the weather heats up. Athlete’s foot is one fungal infection that affects many of us in the summer months. Here’s a guide to what athlete’s foot is, the causes, who gets it together with treatment information, plus advice tips on how to avoid and beat this health peril this summer.
Athlete’s foot
Athlete’s foot is a fungal infection of the skin that can lead to intense itching, cracked, blistered or peeling areas of skin, redness and scaling. It can occur on moist, waterlogged skin, often between the toes or on dry, flaky skin around the heels. If not treated, large painful fissures can also develop and the condition can also spread along all five toes, to the soles of the feet and to the toenails and beyond.
Symptoms may include:
Itchy, scaly rash between the toes
A burning feeling
Small, red blisters
Dry scales or flaking on the soles or sides of the feet
Cracks in the skin that can be very sore and prone to bacterial infection
Oozing red sores (severe cases).
What causes athlete’s foot?
While it gets its name because of the prevalence among athletes who share grimy changing room floors, you don’t need to play a sport to get athlete’s foot. It’s incredibly common and anyone can get it.
Athlete’s foot thrives in moist and warm environments, such as inside sweaty shoes and socks. It grows and survives by consuming keratin, a type of protein found in your hair, skin, and nails.
While athlete’s foot loves to live and grow on feet, the fungus isn’t tied to your toes. Athlete’s foot is highly contagious and able to spread to other parts of your body when it comes in contact with it or by being transferred through items like towels, socks, shoes, or floors that may have particles of dead skin. This can include your scalp, hands and even the groin. And, of course, it can spread to anyone else who comes into contact with it, by touching any of those things.
Who gets athlete’s foot?
Anyone can get athlete’s foot at any age. It is more common in those who spend lots of time barefoot in shared spaces and also in those who have broken skin, perhaps because of eczema or psoriasis.
Real-world data from the Nystaform survey, revealed that most of those living in the UK currently have a skin condition or have previously been affected:
51% have had Athlete’s Foot
70% say they had eczema
29% noted dermatitis as a problem
25% said they had psoriasis.
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