What is Athlete's foot?

Athlete's foot

What is athlete's foot?

Athlete's foot is a skin infection. It can make the skin on your feet flaky and itchy. It's easy to catch athlete's foot in warm, damp places, such as in the changing rooms and showers in gyms. Athlete's foot isn't serious, but it can make your feet sore. There are treatments that work, and you can buy many of them over the counter.

It's a good idea to start treatment as soon as you notice symptoms. Otherwise the infection can spread, and then it's harder to get rid of.

Key points for people with athlete's foot

Athlete's foot is a skin

infection
You get an infection when viruses, bacteria, fungi or other tiny organisms get into your body. These bugs are so tiny that you can't see them without a microscope. For example, an infection in your airways causes the common cold. And an infection in your skin can cause rashes such as athlete's foot.

infection caused by a tiny

fungus
A fungus is an organism that is sometimes considered to be a type of plant. A fungus lives by feeding on other organisms. The mushrooms we eat in salads are fungi, but so are candida and cryptococcus, which can cause infections in people's bodies.

fungus.
You usually get it between your toes first.
Lots of people get it at some point. It's easy to pick it up in places where there are shared changing rooms, such as in gyms and swimming pools.
Usually, athlete's foot makes your skin itch and peel. But some people don't have any symptoms.
You can treat athlete's foot yourself with medication that you can buy from a drugstore.
You can reduce your chance of getting athlete's foot by washing your feet and wearing clean socks every day. For more tips, see How to keep from getting athlete's foot.
If you have

diabetes
Diabetes is a condition that causes too much sugar to circulate in your blood. It happens when your body stops making a hormone called insulin (type 1 diabetes) or when insulin stops working (type 2 diabetes).

diabetes or a weak

immune system
The immune system is made up of the parts of the body that are devoted to fighting infection. The body is constantly being threatened by infections from things like bacteria, viruses and parasites. The immune system fights these infections in different ways. At the microscopic level, the immune system uses antibodies and white blood cells, which travel in the blood and target infectious agents, such as bacteria. These microscopic parts of the immune system either kill the infectious agent directly, or take it to other parts of the body, like the spleen, where it can be dealt with. The lymph nodes are another important part of the immune system. Within them, white blood cells filter through the foreign material that has entered the blood, to see if there are any infections. When you have a swollen gland during a cold, this is actually a lymph node that is reacting to the infection. Unfortunately, it is possible for the immune system to become confused and to use its destructive powers to target healthy parts of the body. Diseases that result from this type of situation are called autoimmune diseases.

immune system because you have

HIV
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It's the virus that causes AIDS. It makes you sick by damaging cells called CD4 cells. Your body needs these cells to fight infections. You can get HIV by sharing needles for injecting drugs ,or by having sex without a condom with someone who already has the virus.

HIV infection or

AIDS
AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. People who are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) get AIDS when the virus has destroyed most of their immune system. When people have AIDS, their body isn't able to fight infections. So even common infections, such as colds, can cause serious problems.

AIDS, or you're taking certain medications (such as chemotherapy), and you think you have athlete's foot, see your doctor. Athlete's foot can cause more serious problems in people with these conditions.

There are lots of myths about athlete's foot. See how much you know by taking our quiz.

What goes wrong?

Athlete's foot is caused by a fungus. The types of fungus that cause athlete's foot live in warm, damp places, such as around swimming pools and in changing areas and showers.

It might seem strange to have an infection caused by a fungus. But the types of fungus that cause athlete's foot are so tiny that you can't even see them. They're just another type of

organism
An organism is anything that is alive. It can be a plant, an animal or tiny things that you can't see without a microscope, such as bacteria.

organism that can cause an infection, like

bacteria
Bacteria are tiny organisms. There are lots of different types. Some are harmful and can cause disease. But some bacteria live in your body without causing any harm.

bacteria or a

viruses
Viruses are microbes (tiny organisms) that need the cells of humans or other animals to exist. They use the machinery of cells to reproduce. Then they spread to other cells in the body.

virus.

Athlete's foot makes the skin between your toes flaky and itchy.

Lots of people get athlete's foot because it's so easy to catch it.

Source:
Hay RJ, Moore M.
Tinea pedis.
In: Champion RH, Wilkinson DS, Ebling FJG (editors). Textbook of dermatology. 6th edition. Blackwell Science, Oxford, UK; 1998.

Source:
Malcolm B.
Tinea pedis.
Practitioner. 1998; 242: 225.

If you often walk around barefoot, you might catch the infection from the floor.
You can catch it if you touch the skin of someone who already has it.
You can catch athlete's foot at home if someone in your family has it.
If your pets have athlete's foot, you might get it from them.

Your feet are the perfect place for this infection to grow, especially between your toes. Your feet are warm, often slightly damp, and full of

keratin
Keratin is a kind of protein that makes up part of your hair, skin, nails and some other tissues in your body.

keratin. Fungi feed on keratin, which is a

proteins
A lot of your body's tissues are made out of proteins. Proteins can be made in your cells. Proteins are also part of the food you eat, particularly meat and dairy products. Your body breaks down the protein you eat into amino acids. Your cells then use these amino acids to build new proteins, which make up muscles, joints, hair and other parts of your body.

protein found in nails, skin and hair.

Source:
Brooks KE, Bender JF.
Tinea pedis: diagnosis and treatment.
Clinics in Podiatric Medicine and Surgery. 1996; 13: 31-46.

Sometimes the fungus spreads to your toenails or to your fingernails and infects them too.

Source:
Hay RJ, Moore M.
Tinea pedis.
In: Champion RH, Wilkinson DS, Ebling FJG (editors). Textbook of dermatology. 6th edition. Blackwell Science, Oxford, UK; 1998.

Source:
O'Donnell M, et al.
Tinea pedis.
In: Lorimer D, French G, O'Donnell M (editors). Neale's disorders of the foot: diagnosis and management. 6th edition. Churchill Livingstone, London, UK; 2001.

⁴ It's much harder to get rid of an infection in your toenails or your fingernails. That's why it's important to treat athlete's foot as soon as you know you have it. To find out more about the best way to deal with infections that have spread to your nails, see Fungal nail infections.

If you have athlete's foot, bacteria might get under your skin. And this can make the infection worse and harder to treat. Your foot might hurt and smell bad if this happens.

Source:
Brooks KE, Bender JF.
Tinea pedis: diagnosis and treatment.
Clinics in Podiatric Medicine and Surgery. 1996; 13: 31-46.

Why me?

Some people are more likely to get athlete's foot than others. To find out more, see Who's at risk for athlete's foot?

How do I know if I have athlete's foot?

If you've had athlete's foot before, you might be able to spot the symptoms. But if you're not sure, it's wise to check with your doctor. There are lots of skin problems that look like athlete's foot, but they need different treatments.

You should go to see your doctor if:

You're not sure what your skin problem is
You've tried creams and powders for athlete's foot and they don't seem to work
Your feet are very sore
You think your nails might be affected.

When you go to see your doctor, they will look at your feet and ask you about your symptoms. Your doctor might scrape a small piece of skin onto a piece of glass (called a slide) and look at it under a microscope. This will help your doctor find out whether you have an infection caused by a fungus. Sometimes doctors send a small piece of skin to a laboratory to find out exactly what type of fungus is causing your infection. Your doctor is more likely to do this if you've already used a treatment and it hasn't worked.

Your doctor might also talk to you about what you can do to keep from getting athlete's foot again. To find out more, see How to keep from getting athlete's foot.

Sources for the information on this page:

Hay RJ, Moore M.Tinea pedis.In: Champion RH, Wilkinson DS, Ebling FJG (editors). Textbook of dermatology. 6th edition. Blackwell Science, Oxford, UK; 1998.

Malcolm B.Tinea pedis.Practitioner. 1998; 242: 225.

Brooks KE, Bender JF.Tinea pedis: diagnosis and treatment.Clinics in Podiatric Medicine and Surgery. 1996; 13: 31-46.

O'Donnell M, et al.Tinea pedis.In: Lorimer D, French G, O'Donnell M (editors). Neale's disorders of the foot: diagnosis and management. 6th edition. Churchill Livingstone, London, UK; 2001.

This information was last updated on Mar 06, 2009

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2010. All rights reserved.

The information on ConsumerReportsHealth.org should not be viewed as a substitute for a consultation with a medical or health professional. The information is meant to enhance communication with your doctor, not replace it. Consumers Union can not be liable for any loss, injury, or other damages related to your use of this information.

Your use of this information is subject to our User Agreement available at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org.