Athlete's Foot

Summer time is one of the worst times of year for athlete's foot. With the heat, the humidity and everyone wanting to go swimming, this leaves the perfect environment for fungus to grow. Fungus likes wet, dark area and in between your toes is the perfect definition of this. The harm of this environment for your feet is that athlete's foot can be something as simple as itching and burning, when it gets worse though, it can become an infection that could require surgery to rid the infection from your body.

So, what can you do to avoid athlete's foot. There are a few simple rules including don't share shoes with anyone, use a paper towel to dry between your toes after a shower, if your feet tend to get very sweaty then change socks throughout the day, and finally if you have a tendency to get athlete's foot, then you can spray your shoes with Lysol at night and let them dry before the next morning.

It is important when your foot starts to itch that you check your foot to see if it is dry, red or flaky skin. Athlete's foot generally  starts between your toes, but it can quickly spread to the entire foot. If you notice patches of dry skin with a clear center to them this is a pretty reliable sign that this is athlete's foot.

If you notice your foot is itching, dry skin, blisters or drainage from your foot, you should seek care from your  podiatrist. There could be an athlete's foot infection that can become much worse if not taken care of quickly. If you live in the Lowell or Reading, Massachusetts area, Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to see you and help treat your feet. We are also happy to announce our Methuen and North Andover offices located at 451 Andover St. Suite 300, North Andover MA 01845 and 87 Jackson St, Methuen, MA 01835.