Athlete's Foot
Athlete’s Foot Doctor Doctor in Woodbury Heights, Haddon Heights, Voorhees, & Pine Hill, NJ
Cure your athlete's foot with an expert here at Prime Foot and Ankle Specialists.
This condition is a common contagious fungal skin infection that affects the skin on the feet, toenails, and sometimes hands. The condition is often associated with moist, warm environments, like running shoes or damp towels — hence the link to athletes.
It's caused by the tinea fungus that thrives in such environments — for example, locker room floors, public swimming pools, showers, towels, or socks.
You'll most likely identify it on the skin between the toes (the toe clefts). Here, peeling and fissuring can occur — in particular, in the toe cleft between the fourth and fifth toes.
What are the Symptoms of Athlete's Foot?
Before you schedule an appointment with a foot doctor, here are the most common symptoms:
Scaly, peeling, or cracked foot skin
Itchiness
Skin inflammation, i.e., reddish, grayish, or purplish in color
Burning or stinging pain
Dry, scaly skin along the bottom and sides of your feet
Blisters
Discolored, thick, and crumbly toenails
What happens if it is not treated?
If it is not treated, the infection will continue to progress. Your toenail may eventually come away from the bed as the fungal infection penetrates deeper into the foot and toe — eventually causing permanent damage.
As the infection worsens, it is increasingly likely that systemic symptoms, such as fever, will emerge, requiring attention from an athlete's foot doctor. Pus and other discharge may also become noticeable at the infection site.
In some cases, the fungal infection spreads to other moist, warm parts of the body. For example, "jock itch" is caused by the same fungus. Spread via hands or a towel, jock itch is notable for the intensive groin itch.
The condition is also contagious. So, the longer it's present, the greater the risk of infecting another individual — be it friends, family, or a stranger.
Diagnosis and Treatment for Athlete's Foot
Most cases are diagnosed based on the history and examination. If the doctor suspects other potential causes, a skin lesion potassium hydroxide exam is the simplest test for this condition.
The foot doctor will take a small number of scrapings from the affected site, placing them into potassium hydroxide. After destroying the normal cells, potassium hydroxide leaves the fungal cells untouched, which are now visible through a microscope.
Treatment for this condition primarily means foot fungus medication. Common topical over-the-counter antifungal medications include:
Tolnaftate (Tinactin)
Butenafine (Lotrimin Ultra)
Miconazole (Desenex)
Clotrimazole (Lotrimin AF)
Terbinafine (Lamisil AT)
See an expert foot doctor for prescription medications if the condition does not subside with home care. Oral antifungals are often prescribed, such as itraconazole (Sporanox), fluconazole (Diflucan), or terbinafine (Lamisil).
Oral antifungals are much stronger than topical OTC foot fungus medication. However, they also come with potential liver and heart side effects.
Foot Fungus
These are prolonged and disruptive conditions — the most well-known being Tinea Pedis. However, several fungal species can infect the feet aside from tinea pedis.
What Is It?
It refers to any fungal infectious agent that grows on or around feet. Two of the most common foot fungal infections are tinea pedis and onychomycosis.
Tinea pedis is caused by dermatophyte fungi.
This group of species consumes keratin for growth, colonizing sites in the groin, feet, and, less often, hands. Such species include:
Trichophyton rubrum
Epidermophyton floccosum
Trichophyton interdigitale
Onychomycosis, on the other hand, affects a single or multiple toenail(s). The species behind the infection are significantly more varied:
Dermatophytes, e.g., Trichophyton rubrum, T. interdigitale
Yeasts, e.g., Candida albicans
Molds, e.g., Scopulariopsis brevicaulis
When to See a Foot Fungus Doctor?
While OTC foot fungal medication can help resolve the problem, if it's affecting your life, see a qualified foot doctor. Common symptoms include:
Nail discoloration
Nail chipped, flaked, breakage, or separation from the nail bed
Discharge or pus
Hot, swollen, and painful skin
Unpleasant smell
Your foot doctor will prescribe a course of foot fungal medication appropriate for the severity of the infection.
If you're dealing with a persistent athlete's foot infection, please reach out to us — Prime Foot and Ankle Specialists will make every effort to schedule your appointment as soon as possible.
