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Athlete's foot

Symptoms of athlete's foot

One of the main symptoms of Athlete's foot is itchy white patches between your toes.

It can also cause sore and flaky patches on your feet.

The skin can look red, but this may be less noticeable on brown or black skin.

Sometimes the skin on your feet may become cracked or bleed.

Athlete's foot can also affect your soles or sides of your feet. It sometimes causes fluid-filled blisters.

If it's not treated, the infection can spread to your toenails and cause a fungal nail infection.

How to treat and prevent athlete's foot yourself

You can keep using some pharmacy treatments to stop athlete's foot coming back.

It's also important to keep your feet clean and dry. You do not need to stay off work or school.

  • dry your feet after washing them, particularly between your toes – dab them dry rather than rubbing them

  • use a separate towel for your feet and wash it regularly

  • take your shoes off when at home

  • wear clean socks every day – cotton socks are best

  • do not scratch affected skin – this can spread it to other parts of your body

  • do not walk around barefoot – wear flip-flops in places like changing rooms and showers

  • do not share towels, socks or shoes with other people

  • do not wear the same pair of shoes for more than 2 days in a row

  • do not wear shoes that make your feet hot and sweaty

Keep following this advice after finishing treatment to help stop athlete's foot coming back.

Treatment for athlete's foot from a GP

The GP may:

  • send a small scraping of skin from your feet to a laboratory to check you have athlete's foot
  • prescribe a steroid cream to use alongside antifungal cream
  • prescribe antifungal tablets – you might need to take these for several weeks
  • refer you to a skin specialist (dermatologist) for more tests and treatment if needed

How you get athlete's foot

You can catch athlete's foot from other people with the infection.

You can get it by:

  • walking barefoot in places where someone else has athlete's foot – especially changing rooms and showers
  • touching the affected skin of someone with athlete's foot

You're more likely to get it if you have wet or sweaty feet, or if the skin on your feet is damaged.

The main symptoms of athlete's foot are itchy white patches and cracked skin, usually between the toes.

You can usually treat athlete's foot using antifungal creams, sprays or powders bought from a pharmacy. See a GP if these do not work.

You can catch athlete's foot from walking barefoot in places where someone else has it or touching the affected skin of someone with it.

Related links

Athlete's foot

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87 public posts

Help! Extremely painful,burning, itchy blisters

Doctors not sure could be shingles, athletes foot, a skin infection or covid!? Thanks in advance
Doctors not sure could be shingles, athletes foot, a skin infection or covid!? Thanks in advance
26dre profile image
26dre
in LUPUS UK

Side effects query ?

He has though developed horrific thick dry skin on the soles of his feet - never had anything like this before - treated as if it was a random athletes foot but no evidence of infection now ( from my limited knowledge ) but painful thick skin that is peeling slowly.
He has though developed horrific thick dry skin on the soles of his feet - never had anything like this before - treated as if it was a random athletes foot but no evidence of infection now ( from my limited knowledge ) but painful thick skin that is peeling slowly.
Lawrences profile image
Lawrences
in British Heart Foundation

Hashimotos, covid vaccines and allergies

Has anyone experienced increased allergies with Hashimotos?? My wife has had it for 15 years. she had the vaccine for covid last year and now seems to be more allergic to anything from her favourite food to glasses she has worn for years and eye drops she has used for the past 3 years with no probs
Has anyone experienced increased allergies with Hashimotos?? My wife has had it for 15 years. she had the vaccine for covid last year and now seems to be more allergic to anything from her favourite food to glasses she has worn for years and eye drops she has used for the past 3 years with no probs
Xpatjock profile image
Xpatjock
in Thyroid UK
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Noise in chest at night

Several rounds of antibiotics this summer. Had some small bleeds. Bleeds have stopped. Done with antibiotics. But I’ve been having noise in my chest. when I lay down at night. I Think it’s from all the mucous I have draining. Pulmonologist said my lungs sound good and ct scan looked good. I’ve had this
Several rounds of antibiotics this summer. Had some small bleeds. Bleeds have stopped. Done with antibiotics. But I’ve been having noise in my chest. when I lay down at night. I Think it’s from all the mucous I have draining. Pulmonologist said my lungs sound good and ct scan looked good. I’ve had this
Lever profile image
Lever
in Lung Conditions Community Forum

Athletes foot. I've had enough.

I've had athletes foot for as long as I can remember. Decades. Mostly on my left foot and is manifested by the usual insane itching between and on tops of toes and over the years my toenails have become thick and brittle. Again only on one foot.
I've had athletes foot for as long as I can remember. Decades. Mostly on my left foot and is manifested by the usual insane itching between and on tops of toes and over the years my toenails have become thick and brittle. Again only on one foot.
Xenom0rph profile image
Xenom0rph
in MY SKIN

Lupus, prednisolone and athletes foot

Just started for the first time predosolone 5 mg once daily for a month ( summer in Greece you see:) and i had an athletes foot for some time now. Does it get worse on steroids? I forgot to ask my doc although he claims that the dose and time is too small to actually make it worse.
Just started for the first time predosolone 5 mg once daily for a month ( summer in Greece you see:) and i had an athletes foot for some time now. Does it get worse on steroids? I forgot to ask my doc although he claims that the dose and time is too small to actually make it worse.
Coffie profile image
Coffie
in LUPUS UK

Intermitent Discomfort Right Toe been happening for 2-3 years.

It felt either athletes foot or if my toe nail was catching the skin. It would only come every few weeks or months. I thought maybe it was my footware or because I had been on my feet for along period.
It felt either athletes foot or if my toe nail was catching the skin. It would only come every few weeks or months. I thought maybe it was my footware or because I had been on my feet for along period.
Tash96 profile image
Tash96
in Men's Health Forum

Food intolerance test

After my last couple of posts, I have come to the conclusion thanks to all the lovely people in here that I should probably check myself for food allergies so I have ordered the smartblood food intolerance test (only the 1st step though)... Although I am almost certain I have no allergies it would be
After my last couple of posts, I have come to the conclusion thanks to all the lovely people in here that I should probably check myself for food allergies so I have ordered the smartblood food intolerance test (only the 1st step though)... Although I am almost certain I have no allergies it would be
cheesephetamine profile image
cheesephetamine
in Thyroid UK

Trial IPT Drug rapamycin

First, in trials as a cure for (I think) athletes' foot, it was never marketed for that because it was a powerful immune suppressor.
First, in trials as a cure for (I think) athletes' foot, it was never marketed for that because it was a powerful immune suppressor.
SurferDude profile image
SurferDude
in ITP Support Association

What a difference

Looking back, it is difficult to remember all my medical conditions which have improved, largely through IF - so I made a list: The bottom right photo is recent Toenail fungus - bottom left Athletes foot Peripheral oedema Peripheral cyanosis (blue foot disease) bottom right.
Looking back, it is difficult to remember all my medical conditions which have improved, largely through IF - so I made a list: The bottom right photo is recent Toenail fungus - bottom left Athletes foot Peripheral oedema Peripheral cyanosis (blue foot disease) bottom right.
S11m profile image
S11m
Volunteer 70lb IF20in Fasting and Furious

Food allergies

Due to having IBS and food allergies I can’t eat onion in any form, Mayo , olive oil. Most of recipes use onion any idea what alternative ingredient I can use.
Due to having IBS and food allergies I can’t eat onion in any form, Mayo , olive oil. Most of recipes use onion any idea what alternative ingredient I can use.
Patchwork1943 profile image
Patchwork1943
2020 Februaryin Weight Loss Support

Who is the best Healthcare Professional to see

[i]Who is the best Healthcare Professional to see for the following conditions: Abdominal Pain — Acute Asthma — Alcohol Advice — Anxiety — Athletes Foot — Back Pain — Blocked ears (wax) — Blood Pressure Monitoring — Blood Tests — Blue Badge Forms — Boils — Breastfeeding Advice — Breathlessness — Bruised
[i]Who is the best Healthcare Professional to see for the following conditions: Abdominal Pain — Acute Asthma — Alcohol Advice — Anxiety — Athletes Foot — Back Pain — Blocked ears (wax) — Blood Pressure Monitoring — Blood Tests — Blue Badge Forms — Boils — Breastfeeding Advice — Breathlessness — Bruised
helvella profile image
helvella
Administratorin Thyroid UK

PAD at 27?!

Then I was told I had athletes foot from the open skin so was given a cream & told to use for a year. Nothing I was given helped.
Then I was told I had athletes foot from the open skin so was given a cream & told to use for a year. Nothing I was given helped.
hgrl profile image
hgrl
in British Heart Foundation

Allergies to Food

Hi, I used to think that I was unique in having so many food allergies. I was wrong. In the last 10 plus years, I've been getting more sensitive to foods - so sensitive that I've actually been diagnosed with "Food Phobia" by a medical doctor. A few years ago, after experiencing a horrible anaphylactic
Hi, I used to think that I was unique in having so many food allergies. I was wrong. In the last 10 plus years, I've been getting more sensitive to foods - so sensitive that I've actually been diagnosed with "Food Phobia" by a medical doctor. A few years ago, after experiencing a horrible anaphylactic
DesertDeuces profile image
DesertDeuces
in EFA

APS and food allergy

A recent study supports a link between antibodies and food allergies. https://www.empr.com/home/mpr-first-report/acaai-2019/food-allergy-presence-associated-with-antiphospholipid-antibodies/ My Antiphospholipid antibodies dropped substantially when I started a high fiber diet and limited eggs and dairy
A recent study supports a link between antibodies and food allergies. https://www.empr.com/home/mpr-first-report/acaai-2019/food-allergy-presence-associated-with-antiphospholipid-antibodies/ My Antiphospholipid antibodies dropped substantially when I started a high fiber diet and limited eggs and dairy
Roarah profile image
Roarah
in LUPUS UK

Food Allergy Testing/igE

Hi. Me again! Wearing this forum out I think.... Food allergy testing. I am going for some blood tests for food allergy testing. In other posts I've mentioned I'm having coeliac reaction to a whole new range of non-gluten foods, and it's all a bit confusing. Can anyone tell me if the igE blood test for
Hi. Me again! Wearing this forum out I think.... Food allergy testing. I am going for some blood tests for food allergy testing. In other posts I've mentioned I'm having coeliac reaction to a whole new range of non-gluten foods, and it's all a bit confusing. Can anyone tell me if the igE blood test for
Hidden profile image
Hidden
in Gluten Free Guerrillas

Can someone help figure out what the heck is going on with just my right foot?

Only for the past 3 or so years, my right foot subddenly is constantly peeling, cracking, and what looks similar to athletes foot with thick and rough skin.. but no athletes foot medication has ever improved the situation.
Only for the past 3 or so years, my right foot subddenly is constantly peeling, cracking, and what looks similar to athletes foot with thick and rough skin.. but no athletes foot medication has ever improved the situation.
Kleechills profile image
Kleechills
in MY SKIN

Stomach acid-reducing drugs may raise risk of future allergies

I really don't feel the need to say much as an introduction after all the PPI posts here. However, I shall take one sentence from the paper: We report an epidemiologic relationship between gastric acid-suppression and development of allergic symptoms. And then suggest, while PPIs might have their
I really don't feel the need to say much as an introduction after all the PPI posts here. However, I shall take one sentence from the paper: We report an epidemiologic relationship between gastric acid-suppression and development of allergic symptoms. And then suggest, while PPIs might have their
helvella profile image
helvella
Administratorin Thyroid UK

Coimbra Protocol 2 and vitamin D.

I’ve struggled with athletes foot under my toenails (yellow nasty toenails) for more than 10 years. I’ve taken medicine for it to go away twice and it just came back as soon as I quit. I just noticed they have cleared up nearly completely?
I’ve struggled with athletes foot under my toenails (yellow nasty toenails) for more than 10 years. I’ve taken medicine for it to go away twice and it just came back as soon as I quit. I just noticed they have cleared up nearly completely?
38yroldmale profile image
38yroldmale
in Cure Parkinson's

Struggling to get a diagnosis?

At this point I became aware that Ella had also been experiencing recurrent thrush and she had a fungal nail infection, was prone to athletes foot and she has been prone to fungal ear infections on and off for several years.
At this point I became aware that Ella had also been experiencing recurrent thrush and she had a fungal nail infection, was prone to athletes foot and she has been prone to fungal ear infections on and off for several years.
Laundretta profile image
Laundretta
in Crohn's and Colitis Support
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