Athlete's foot today are considered one of the most common fungal diseases on the planet. Such a disease can manifest itself in different forms and lead to completely different complications. Statistical data show that the adult part of the population is more susceptible to such a disease, and in rural areas it is much less common than among urban residents.
Athlete's foot and their causes
As already mentioned, the cause of the development of the disease is a fungal infection, namely a microorganism called Trichophyton mentagrophytes. You can "catch" the pathogen through contact with an infected person. In addition, spores of the fungus are contained in the dead particles of the epithelium of the patient's skin. Therefore, a household transmission route is also possible here, for example, when sharing towels, shoes and bed linen, as well as when visiting swimming pools, saunas and other public places.
In fact, not every person in contact with the pathogen develops epidermophytosis of the feet. There are other importantfactors. For example, it has been proven that people with the following problems are more susceptible to the disease:
- diabetes;
- Immunocompromised;
- excessive sweating of the feet;
- chronic venous insufficiency;
- deep vein thrombosis and varicose veins;
- flat feet or tight spaces between the toes.
In addition, statistics confirm that workers in some professions are also susceptible to illness, including athletes, cooks, miners, bath attendants, etc.
Symptoms
Athlete's foot (the photo shows the external manifestation of the disease) is expressed by completely different symptoms. To date, it is customary to distinguish five forms of the disease, each of which has its own characteristics:
- With a squamous form, small red plaques often appear on the lateral surfaces and arch of the foot, which slightly resemble a psoriasis rash. At the same time, the skin in the affected areas is very flaky, which causes a lot of discomfort. It is not uncommon for patients to complain of mild itching.
- Intertriginous athlete's foot is accompanied by the presence of redness between the toes. At the same time, the skin peels off, small cracks, erosions and even ulcers often appear on it. Patients complain of intense itching and pain.
- The dyshidrotic form of the disease is characterized by the appearance of a blistering rash on the arch of the foot, sole and interdigital folds.
- Athlete's disease can also affect the legs, while the nailthe plate thickens, exfoliates and acquires a yellowish tint.
- The most difficult thing is to diagnose epidermophytosis of the feet with an erased clinical picture. This form of the disease can develop asymptomatically, only occasionally reminding of itself with an imperceptible rash or the appearance of cracks between the fingers.
Athlete's foot: treatment
Although the therapy is selected by the doctor individually, it usually consists of two stages. First you need to remove scales and dead tissue (if any), as well as relieve inflammation. If we are talking about the affected nail, then surgical removal may be required. Only after that the doctor will prescribe antifungal drugs. In most cases, it is enough to use a special gel or ointment. In especially severe cases, additional oral antimycotic drugs may be taken.
