This summer, be careful with the foot fungus!

Summer is time for swimming pools. When a heat wave hits, lots of people join in the public pools. That, added to the bad habit of many people who usually walk barefoot around the pool area, terribly increase the risk of getting foot fungus.

Additionally, the sweating associated with this period and the humidity of some environments where we like spending time to avoid high temperatures, make it also rise the probability to get this infectious disease that, if not treated swiftly, can spread rapidly and turn really annoying.

However common foot fungus infection may be, it is possible to prevent it if you take measures and adopt the appropriate habits. That is the reason of this article, in which we will tell you what exactly causes foot fungus, which are its symptoms, how can you prevent getting them and how should it be correctly treated.

Do you want to know more about foot fungus? Then, we suggest you to keep reading.

What is exactly foot fungus?

Foot fungus, also known as foot mycosis, is an infectious disease caused by a microorganism called dermatophyte. This living being finds the suitable conditions for its well development in wet and warm environments, so it is easily found in showers, changing rooms, public swimming pools and saunas.

The dermatophyte can also find a good habitat in wet shoes or socks, especially that footwear that does not correctly breath.

The most common symptoms of foot fungus infection are red skin rashes, stinging and peeling when taking your shoes off. These are the first mild symptoms and they can be removed easily if early addressed.

Nonetheless, if you let the infection to spread without treating it, you could see how blisters, ulcers and dryness appear, not only on the initially affected area, but on the whole foot sole.

It is worth mentioning that this infection usually appears on the toes or between them, even if it is still possible that it showed up on any other part of the foot sole. Furthermore, if you touched the infected area and reached any other part of the body afterwards, you could even infect other body areas!

But the most dangerous thing about this small microorganism is its easiness to spread and infect other people. It can be transmitted through direct contact with other people’s affected area or through touching a contaminated thing. So, if you got foot mycosis, you should not walk barefootin order to prevent other people from getting infected.

Preventing you from catching foot fungus

Having the correct hygienic habits, making sure you never leave your feet wet for too long and not walking barefoot on public places might not 100% prevent you from getting foot fungus, but they surely will help a lot.

For instance, it would be absurd to tell you to not swim in public pools or bath in showers, but, at least, when you get out from the water, you should always dry your feet, especially between your toes, since we usually forget to thoroughly dry those areas.

You should also use sandals or any other kind of footwear when you are in public places. If you do so, you will prevent your feet from stepping barefoot on contaminated floors.

Furthermore, telling you that you should change your socks every day might seem obvious, but it is worth mentioning, since some socks, if don’t washed previously before its next use, might be a source of infection.

And, above all, try to always use breathable footwear in order to do not allow the humidity to get stuck there.

How can you remove the mycosis from your feet?

Identifying foot fungusand treating it swiftly is the most effective way to get rid of this infectious disease before it spreads.

Once you have realized you have caught foot mycosis, you should use antifungal medicines, usually applied as a lotion over the affected area. Other medicines like those that make the skin’s pH decrease might be useful to hinder the dermatophyte’s growth and prevent it from spreading. You should be able to find these medicines in your nearest pharmacy.

Whatever the medicine you use, it is important to follow the instructions written in its information pamphletand keep applying it until the treatment is over, even if it might look like the infection is gone. That is the only way to make sure you kill the infectious microorganism on your feet, since, if you interrupted the therapy too early, the foot fungus could come back again.

If you have tried the medicine for some weeks and the infection has not got better, it might require the attention of a specialized doctor, who will prescribe you a stronger treatment.

In Clinica Excelan, we are aware of how annoying can be to have to move to the clinic or hospital to get the treatment you need. That is why we offer acustomised medical attention wherever you might need us, either at your home, your hotel room, your favourite restaurant… Wherever you are, we will be there!

What is more, if you are spending your holidays in Marbella or Costa del Sol and do not know Spanish language, call us and tell us the matter in your mother tongue. Our English-speaking doctors and highly multilingual staff will attend you in the language you feel the most comfortable speaking… because our main priority is you.

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