Athlete's foot

You don’t have to be an athlete to catch it - athlete’s foot can affect anyone!

Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis) is a fungal skin infection of the feet caused, primarily, by fungi called as dermatophytes. They thrive in warm and moist environments, such as changing rooms and showers, shoes and socks or sweaty feet. That's why they feel right at home between your toes but can also affect the soles and sides of your feet.

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Athlete’s foot symptoms

You might be suffering from athlete’s foot if you experience:

  • Itchy and burning toes and feet
  • Scaly, very dry, cracked or peeling skin
  • Splitting, softening or whitening skin between toes
  • Cracking skin between the toes, on the soles or heels
  • Smelly feet

You can also experience more severe symptoms:

  • Vesicles on the skin
  •  Inflammation of cracked skin
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Understanding athlete's foot

The most important thing you need to know about athlete’s foot is that it’s very contagious. You can easily catch the infection through skin-to-skin contact or through contact with contaminated surfaces. Also, if left untreated it is much more likely to return, and the fungus can spread to other areas of your body or to your loved ones.

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Athlete's foot treatment

An effective antifungal medication is the best treatment for your condition. Athlete's foot treatments are available over the counter from your pharmacy, in your supermarket or online.

Topical treatments are easy to apply and target the main types of fungi that cause athlete's foot. Sometimes, it is important to use concomitantly mild corticosteroid that treats symptoms of inflamed athlete's foot (e.g. hydrocortisone). Canesten offers a range of complete antifungal treatments that stop fungal growth, kill the fungi and relieve the symptoms of athlete’s foot.

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From our satisfied patients

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I've had athlete's foot for a while and it's come and gone, but once it returned it was there to stay. My doctor recommended athlete's foot cream and once I tried Canesten I haven't noticed any returning symptoms.

Satisfied Customer

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I've had athlete's foot for a while and it's come and gone, but once it returned it was there to stay. My doctor recommended athlete's foot cream and once I tried Canesten I haven't noticed any returning symptoms.

Satisfied Customer

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I've had athlete's foot for a while and it's come and gone, but once it returned it was there to stay. My doctor recommended athlete's foot cream and once I tried Canesten I haven't noticed any returning symptoms.

Satisfied Customer

Preventing athlete's foot

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When drying your feet, pay special attention to areas between your toes.

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Wear clean socks every day. Change them after playing sports or on hot days.

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Keep your toenails trimmed and clean to prevent spreading the fungal infection.

Facts about athlete's foot

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You may be more at risk of catching athlete’s foot when walking barefoot in public showers, gyms and changing rooms or when in contact with an infected person.

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It’s a common problem: over 70% of the population will experience athlete’s foot during their lifetime. While anyone can catch the infection, men and older people are more at risk.

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Treat it early - when left untreated, athlete's foot can spread to other parts of your body. This often occurs through scratching and can cause other fungal infections like jock itch.

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