Are You Inviting Athlete’s Foot? Know the Risks

Why do some people seem to manage to avoid athlete’s foot? And why other people seem to be besieged by athlete’s foot most of the time? The answer can be found in knowing the causes and risks of athlete’s foot.

The cause of athlete’s foot is a group of fungi that attacks the skin. The major trait of these fungi is their love for warm and moist environment. This environment can be anything such as the wet carpets in public gyms or the floors of public showers and locker rooms. This warm and moist environment can be right inside soggy socks or shoes.

Keeping in mind all these possible environments where the foot fungus may strike, some of the behaviors that place a person at risk with contracting athlete’s foot have been identified. If a person practices one or more of these behaviors, then there is a great possibility that this person have already suffered from athlete’s foot. In fact, this person is still at risk of getting the same infection again.

Risky behaviors:

• Wearing the same dirty and soggy socks the whole day – It would be a healthier idea to change socks whenever they get wet. If having more laundry means avoiding athlete’s foot, then so be it.

• Walking barefoot in the gym, locker rooms, spas, and public showers – It is advisable to wear sandals or any kind of footwear when walking in such public areas. Someone else might be spreading athlete’s foot around and bare feet can become new homes to the foot fungus.

• Using tight non-breathable shoes – The feet, because of walking, will inevitably release sweat.  The sweat and the tight shoes encourage the growth of the microorganisms that cause athlete’s foot. These non-breathable shoes are usually made of vinyl. If involve in any activity that will make the feet sweat, it is a good idea to wear shoes made of leather or shoes that allow the feet to breathe and air out the sweat.

If the above risky behaviors are avoided and the feet are kept clean, then athlete’s foot can be reasonably avoided. It is encouraged that everyone in the family will avoid these risks of athlete’s foot.