Is athlete's foot contagious?

Written by Liu Gang
Dermatology
Updated on September 26, 2024
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Athlete's foot is a disease caused by fungal infections and is highly contagious. Transmission can occur through contact with each other, sharing slippers haphazardly, or going to public baths and swimming pools. Once diagnosed, it is essential to receive formal treatment at a dermatology department in a reputable hospital. Antifungal creams should be applied twice daily for at least one to two months to completely eradicate the deep-seated fungi. Regularly soaking feet in hot water, and ensuring that worn socks and shoes are thoroughly sun-dried to disinfect them, can prevent cross-infection. Even after recovery from athlete's foot, it's important to avoid recurrence by maintaining good dietary and personal hygiene habits. It's advisable to avoid spicy food, refrain from staying up late, and use separate wash basins and bath towels from other family members.

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Written by Li Ya Ping
Dermatology Department
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How to determine if it's athlete's foot on the hand

Athlete's foot, medically known as tinea pedis, is a fungal infection. If someone with tinea pedis scratches their feet with their hands, they can transfer the fungus to their hands, resulting in tinea manuum, which is characterized by peeling skin on the hands. However, there are two common conditions that lead to hand peeling. One is tinea manuum, a fungal infection of the hands, often spread from tinea pedis. The other condition is eczema, so it is necessary to differentiate whether the symptoms are due to tinea manuum or eczema. Patients with tinea manuum typically have the infection on two feet and one hand; usually, only one hand is affected initially, not both hands symmetrically. If it is difficult to differentiate, it is advisable for patients to undergo a fungal examination at a hospital, which can confirm the diagnosis if the result is positive for fungus.

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Written by Liu Gang
Dermatology
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Does Huoxiang Zhengqi Water treat athlete's foot?

Huoxiang Zhengqi Water is generally used to treat summer colds, dizziness, fever, or diseases accompanied by cold symptoms. It has no special effect on treating athlete's foot. Athlete's foot is caused by fungal infections and is contagious and recurrent. For treating athlete's foot, it is best to use formal medications, otherwise, due to its high contagiousness, it might spread to family members. Currently, commonly used ointments include Naftifine Ketoconazole Cream or Nitrate Sertaconazole Cream, and the treatment usually requires a long course, at least persisting for more than a month. Or after the symptoms have completely disappeared, continue using it for about half a month more, which can generally cure it completely. Towels and basins for washing feet, used daily, must be separated from those of other family members to prevent cross-infection.

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Written by Qu Jing
Dermatology
1min 43sec home-news-image

Is peeling skin on the feet without itchiness athlete's foot?

Peeling on the feet without itchiness is generally due to hyperkeratosis type athlete's foot. This condition commonly affects the palmoplantar regions and the heel, where the skin is dry with noticeably thickened stratum corneum. The surface is rough and flaky with deepened skin lines. In winter, the skin can crack and even bleed, potentially causing pain, but usually, there is no itching. There are three common types of athlete's foot. Besides hyperkeratosis type, there are vesicular and interdigital maceration types. The vesicular type usually occurs on fingertips, palms, and sides of the feet, characterized by pinhead-sized blisters deep in the skin. These blisters have clear fluid, thick and shiny walls that are not easily ruptured. Blisters may cluster or spread out and can merge into larger blisters. Once the blister roof is torn off, it reveals a honeycomb-like base and a fresh red erosion. After several days, the blisters dry up, leading to a collar-shaped scaling, with the lesion continuously spreading peripherally, and recurrently characterized by scaling. This type has notably more itching. The interdigital maceration type is common in finger and toe webs, especially among individuals who sweat excessively, wear rubber shoes for prolonged periods, and is more prevalent in summer. This condition also features significant itching and can have a foul odor due to secondary bacterial infection.

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Written by Zhu Zhu
Dermatology
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The difference between athlete's foot and foot odor

Athlete's foot and tinea pedis are two completely identical diseases, with no differences between them, differing only in what they are called. Athlete's foot, also known as tinea pedis, is a common skin disease caused by fungal infections. Symptoms of athlete's foot include flaking, peeling, itching, and blisters. It is advisable to treat it with antifungal creams, and to maintain cleanliness, keep the feet dry, and avoid sharing shoes and socks.

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Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
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Will having athlete's foot cause an infection during a water birth?

Giving birth in water does not increase the risk of infection; in fact, the rate of newborns carrying bacteria significantly decreases when birth occurs in water. The reason is that water can wash off the bacteria on the baby's body, and the birth takes place in a special tub where the water is flowing and free of bacteria. Before the birth, the doctor will disinfect the mother. In current practices, liquids are generally used to inhibit the growth of pathogens, so infections like athlete's foot are generally not caused during childbirth.