What Is Tinea Pedis?

Tinea Pedis ( Athlete's Foot ) is an infection of the foot caused by a yeast infection. A person may be exposed to the fungus that causes tinea pedis through direct contact with the patient or touches the surface of the fungus. The mushroom-covered surface is a damp and warm floor, like a bathroom, locker room, and around the pool.

Tinea pedis mostly occurs in someone whose feet are often wet from sweating or using tight shoes. Common symptoms of this disease are scaly, itchy, and reddish skin. Tinea pedis can be treated with antifungal drugs. However, the disease may reappear if it does not maintain good foot hygiene.


Symptoms of Tinea Pedis
Tinea pedis symptoms generally originate from the rash and scaly rash that appears between the toes, and accompanied by itching. The itching will get worse when the sufferer removes socks or shoes. In some cases, tinea pedis also causes the formation of blisters and skin blisters.

Other symptoms of tinea pedis that can arise are burning, dry, cracked, and peeling skin, and color changes in the area between the finger and the sole of the foot. Mushrooms can also spread into nail fungus so the nails look pale, thickened with uneven surfaces, and the nails look like they are attracted and will slip from the base of the nail.

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Causes of Tinea Pedis
Tinea pedis is most commonly caused by Tricophyton rubrum, Tricophyton mentagrophytes , and Epidermophyton floccosum . This fungus is obtained from direct contact with the patient or contact with the environment and contaminated items, such as towels, floors, or shoes.

Seeing the mode of transmission, some of the following conditions may increase a person's risk for tinea pedis:

• Visit public areas barefoot, especially locker rooms, swimming pools and showers.
• Frequent sweating on the feet.
• Experiencing injury to the skin and toenails.
• Exchanging socks, shoes, or towels with people affected by tinea pedis.
• Use that shoe too
• Use wet socks.
• Rarely change socks.

Diagnosis of Tinea Pedis
Tinea pedis can usually be directly recognized by the doctor from the symptoms that appear. However, if the doctor needs to confirm it again, the following checks can be performed:

• Skin scrap examination. Skin samples with abnormality will be taken by scrape, then examined under a microscope with the help of potassium hydroxide solution to see the fungus.
• Mushroom culture test. This test is done by taking samples of skin that have abnormalities, then put it in a certain medium to see the presence or absence of mushrooms which then grow on the medium.

Tinea Pedis Treatment
Tinea pedis can generally be treated by using topical antifungal drugs. If the drug does not work properly, it may be recommended to use oral antifungals and other medications. Topical medicines that can be used to treat tinea pedis include:

• Miconazole .
• Tolnaftate .
• Clotrimazole .
• Terbinafine.
• Ketoconazole .
• Ciclopirox .
• Naftifine .

To reduce scaly skin, can be added cream containing urea. This urea cream works by maintaining skin hydration and removing thickened skin cells. In patients with reduced immune system conditions, such as diabetes , tinea pedis is sometimes difficult to cure. But in general, tinea pedis is not a serious disease.


Complications of Tinea Pedis
In some serious cases, tinea pedis can cause complications. Some of these complications include:

• Tinea pedis that spread to other areas of the body, such as hands, stomach, and groin from touching or scratching the body area with hands or other objects previously contaminated with fungi.
• Allergic reaction to fungus that can bring blisters on the feet or hands.
• Secondary bacterial infection of the tinea pedis area. Bacteria that enter and infect the foot that has been affected by tinea pedis can cause cellulitis .
• Lymphadenitis and lymphangitis. Secondary bacterial infections can also spread to lymph nodes ( lymphadenitis ), and lymph vessels (lymphangitis).

Prevention of Tinea Pedis
To prevent the occurrence of tinea pedis on the feet, can be done precautionary measures such as:

• Keep the foot condition dry, especially in between toes. It is advisable not to wear footwear while at home.
• Replace socks regularly, especially if it feels wet.
• Use light footwear and have good air circulation.
• Do not use the same shoes every day, so that the shoe is dry before reuse.
• Do not share shoes, socks, or towels with others.
• Use waterproof footwear when in public to protect your feet.
• Use an antifungal powder, especially on the sidelines of the toes, to eradicate the fungus that causes tinea pedis.

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