Kids and adults who spend time in public locker rooms or pools may be at increased risk for an itchy athlete’s foot infection. At Gateway Foot and Ankle Center, the skilled podiatry team offers in-office evaluations and treatment services for athlete’s foot. The team can recommend medications to clear the infection and lifestyle changes to prevent new ones. Call the office in Clarksville, Nashville, or Erin, Tennessee, or in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, to schedule a consultation for athlete’s foot symptoms or book an appointment online today.
Athlete’s foot is a fungal infection that typically affects the skin between your toes. The infection enters your body through small cracks or cuts in the skin.
Often, people develop athlete’s foot after spending time barefoot in public pools, showers, or locker rooms. The infection is highly contagious and easily spread from personal contact, walking on contaminated surfaces, or sharing towels or clothing.
You may also be at risk of developing athlete’s foot if you sweat a lot and don’t change out of damp socks and shoes.
There are over-the-counter products you can buy to relieve the itch of athlete’s foot, but the infection can come back if not treated properly. The infection can also spread to other areas of your body without prompt medical care.
The Gateway Foot and Ankle Center team recommends that you schedule a diagnostic evaluation if you have any symptoms of athlete’s foot, including:
It’s especially important that you seek medical care for signs of athlete’s foot if you have existing health conditions like diabetes that can be complicated by a fungal infection. If you’re diabetic, be sure to check your feet daily to identify an infection or open wound in the earliest stages.
Avoid scratching your feet or toes if you think you have an infection to prevent spreading it to other areas of your body or to other people.
Your treatment plan for athlete’s foot may include prescription-strength topicals or sprays to clear the infection. If topical treatments aren’t working well, you may need to take an oral antifungal medication.
Lifestyle changes and proper foot hygiene are also an essential part of managing athlete's foot and preventing a new infection. The team may recommend:
Don’t share towels, shoes, or other personal items with other people.
To schedule a diagnostic evaluation for athlete’s foot, call the Gateway Foot and Ankle Center office nearest you or book an appointment online today.