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Athlete's foot - Tinea pedis

Very low urgency
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Infection of the skin and nails of the toes.

It is caused by a fungus that affects moist areas of the skin.

It manifests as reddening, flaking and itching of the skin which is sometimes preceded by the apparition of moist blisters. In many cases, the skin lesion grows in a circled shape, adopting a characteristic ring form.

It is diagnosed by examining the affected area.

Treatment is based on the administration of topical antifungal agents and keeping the extremities dry.

Bibliographic references
  1. Adam O Goldstein, MPH. Beth G Goldstein. Dermatophyte (tinea) infections. UpToDate, Nov 23, 2015.
  2. Seebacher C, Bouchara JP, Mignon B. Updates on the epidemiology of dermatophyte infections. Mycopathologia 2008; 166:335.
  3. Ameen M. Epidemiology of superficial fungal infections. Clin Dermatol 2010; 28:197.
  4. Gupta AK, Cooper EA. Update in antifungal therapy of dermatophytosis. Mycopathologia 2008; 166:353.
  5. T. castel. Dermatofitosis. Farreras Rozman. Medicina Interna. Volumen II. Duodécima edición. 2364: 2366.
  6. Leslie P. Lawley, Calvin O. McCall y Thomas J. Lawley. Eccema, psoriasis, infecciones cutáneas, acné y otros trastornos cutáneos frecuentes. Dermatofitosis. Harrison. Principios de Medicina Interna. Volumen 1. 19ª Edición. 349:350.
  7. Carol A. Kauffman. Micosis superficiales y micosis sistémicas menos frecuentes. Harrison. Principios de Medicina Interna. Volumen 2. 19ª Edición. 1357:1358.
Author
Dr. Oscar Garcia-Esquirol
Copyright
© TeckelMedical 2026

Symptoms

    In between toes there are yellowish vesicles

    Cracked skin between toes

    Cracked foot skin

    Unpleasant foot smell

    Redness on the skin of the foot

Symptoms to watch out for

Bleeding in the wound
Reddened and painful ulcer in the affected area
Reddish sores that are itchy, break open, and ooze clear fluid or pus
History of immunodeficiency (HIV, diabetes mellitus, oncological disorders, long-term corticosteroid consumption).

Self-care

Avoid sharing shoeware.
Avoid prolonged sweating of the feet, change socks twice a day.
Dry the feet thouroughly, specially between toes.
Use shoe wear in swimming pool and changing room areas.
Apply over-the-counter topical antifungals.
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