In terms of prevalence, fungal infections are second only to the common cold.According to statistics, men experience this more often than women;older people more often than young people;athletes more often than people who are indifferent to sports.Diabetes and peripheral circulatory disorders also increase the risk of getting a fungal infection.
What is athlete's foot, risk factors
The causes of foot fungus, or mycosis, are dermatophytes (thread fungi), yeasts and molds.The most suitable environment for them is warmth and humidity.Remember that swimming pools, gyms, bowling alleys, public baths and hotels are high risk areas for fungal infections!You can get infected with fungus even in the store, while trying on shoes or clothes.
The fungus cannot be seen with the naked eye, the legs look normal, and the infection cannot be detected for a long time.The first sign of this disease is itching between the fingers, usually between the little and ring fingers.Then redness appears, the skin begins to peel and hurt.
Fungal prevention
To successfully prevent infection, it is recommended to follow a few simple rules:
- do not walk barefoot in swimming pools, saunas or hotels;
- keep your feet clean, use individual towels;
- if you often have to deal with "risk factors", use appropriate means every day to prevent fungus: disinfectant cream, clotrimazole lotion or antibacterial spray;
- If you cannot avoid contact with unsafe surfaces, for example, you rent sports equipment (skates, ski boots), treat your feet with antibacterial spray, pay special attention to the space between the toes.
Remember: take good care of your feet and be alert to the slightest signs of athlete's foot!
Protection
If you are infected with foot fungus, in addition to the basic treatment, you need to take care of two more things: under no circumstances allow the infection to spread in the house, among your loved ones;prevent re-infection.
- Don't let any of your loved ones use your shoes!Make sure all family members have individual shoes.
- Wash clothes at temperatures above 60 degrees.
- To prevent fungus among your household, regularly treat all shoes in the house with an antibacterial spray;
- Even after you've gotten rid of athlete's foot, there's a danger of re-infection through your shoes.To prevent this, spray the inside of each pair with antibacterial spray.
Remember: feet affected by fungus take 20 to 30 days to recover!
Comfort
The idea of hiding your feet in socks or shoes is tempting only at first glance.Fungal infections not only spoil the appearance of the feet, but are also accompanied by an unpleasant odor, which can cause serious discomfort.
In addition to preventing fungus, antibacterial sprays have deodorizing properties and will help eliminate this subtle problem.
An unpleasant odor is the result of the activity of various bacteria, and can be annoying even if you do not have athlete's foot.The deodorizing properties are the main advantage of antibacterial sprays over conventional means of preventing athlete's foot.Treatment with an antibacterial spray will not only relieve your feet of unpleasant odors, but will also destroy bacteria - the cause of the problem.
Remember: your success and quality of life directly depends on your comfort and self-confidence!