At Ambulatory Foot & Ankle Clinic, we know that athlete’s foot can cause an incredible amount of itching and can be difficult to live with when it is persistent. Athlete’s foot is a skin disease caused by a fungus which can form on the foot. Since the shoe provides a warm and dark place for the fungus to grow, athlete’s foot can become a significant issue if it is left untreated.
Causes for developing athlete’s foot include coming into direct contact with someone else who has it or spending time barefoot around warm and damp areas. These areas can include the shower and floor of a public locker room. All it will take is one player who has athlete’s foot on a sports team to infect others who walk barefoot in the shower and locker rooms as well.
If you believe you have athlete’s foot, then you may be experiencing dry skin on the foot, itching, burning or inflammation. Some of the symptoms can increase as the condition worsens over time. Although the common symptoms are itching and burning irritation, blisters and scaling can also occur on the foot. These symptoms can occur together or separately. The best way to discern if you have athlete’s foot is to see if the symptoms last more than a day and continues to increase in scale.
request an appointmentPOSSIBLE TREATMENT METHODS
With the advancements of modern medicine, there are topical creams and gels available for the minor cases at the drugstore. However, if the store-bought treatments do not seem to be working, professional podiatric treatment will be necessary.
Postponing treatment or even a consultation will only allow athlete’s foot can spread to other parts of the body from touching the foot, contaminated bed sheets and other factors. Too often, patients will try to tough symptoms out, believing that the issue will just pass on its own. While that can be true for minor cases, a major foot condition needs to be treated as soon as possible.
With most cases of athlete’s foot, the patient will be given a topical antibacterial medication to apply onto the fungus or consume an oral medication. We will examine the patient and recommend the best treatment.
A patient, who does not continue with the treatment and prescription, will only allow the fungus to get worse. The individual who has athlete’s foot needs to wash and dry the infected area each day thoroughly. Using foot powder can help to keep the foot dry each day as well. To avoid spreading the infection to other family members, keep the bathroom, shower and other areas of the house where one is commonly barefoot, clean.
WILL THE TREATMENT BE PAINFUL?
The simple answer is not much at all. The simple answer is not much at all. While athlete’s foot will cause the skin to feel itchy and irritating, the treatment should not cause more pain than the patient is already feeling.
Treatment of athlete’s foot may take a while, depending on the severity of the condition. Due to this, we will ensure that the patient has every resource necessary to ensure as quick a recovery as possible.
Prevention of athlete’s foot depends entirely on what the individual’s bare feet touch. Since the fungus can be on any surface including the shower, bathtub, locker rooms or poolside, it is easy to contract athlete’s foot. Prevention methods can include, washing the foot daily, thoroughly drying the foot after washing them, wearing shower shoes in public locker rooms, wearing light and airy shoes or using talcum powder.
Convenient Wyoming & Idaho Locations
Patients enjoy a comforting and friendly atmosphere at Ambulatory Foot & Ankle Clinic’s offices in Thayne and Jackson, Wyoming, and Pocatello, Soda Springs, Montpelier, Hailey and Idaho Falls, Idaho.
Find your nearest location and then schedule your appointment with our expert podiatrists today!