Tips for Preventing Athlete’s Foot

At Connecticut Foot Care Centers, we find that the summer months tend to bring an increase in the number of cases of athlete’s foot we treat. Although children get this fungal infection more often than adults due to their habits and hygiene, both are particularly susceptible to the condition during this season because of the greater opportunity for people to be barefoot.

Symptoms of athlete’s foot include:

• Intense itching between the toes and on the soles of the feet
• Dry skin
• Redness and inflammation
• Blisters and oozing

Many over-the-counter treatments available for athlete’s foot often fail to make contact with the fungus which can be in the lower layers of the skin. If not treated promptly, athlete’s foot can spread to other parts of the body and other family members. It’s also possible for a secondary bacterial infection to develop where blisters pop and leave tender new tissue exposed. For this reason, it’s best to let our podiatrists Jeffrey S. Kahn, D.P.M., Craig M. Kaufman, D.P.M., Ayman M. Latif, D.P.M. or Raffaella R. Pascarella, D.P.M. evaluate the skin condition and prescribe the best treatment.

Of course, the best treatment is prevention. Below are some suggestions for how to avoid contracting athlete’s foot.

• Keep feet clean. Wash them every day with warm water and a mild soap. It’s also important to dry them very well between the toes and all over.
• Don’t walk barefoot. Especially in public places like pools, beach or lake changing areas and restrooms, nail salons, gyms and camp showers.
• Change your shoes. Wearing the same pair over and over can increase the growth of fungi and bacteria inside the shoe.
• Don’t let feet get damp. Change your socks during the day if necessary. Apply a talcum or anti-fungal powder each day to help keep feet dry.
• Teach children not to share footwear, towels or other items that touch another person’s foot.

If you suspect you may have athlete’s foot, don’t delay. Contact one of our six Hartford and Middlesex County offices today and get relief.