Is It Really Athlete’s Foot? Check the Symptoms
Do you have athlete’s foot? Perhaps it is another kind of skin infection. After all, you may not be an athlete. The irony of athlete’s foot is that it affects people who are not athletes. And the confusion about athlete’s foot is that the symptoms observed in one person may not be the same as the athlete’s foot symptoms experienced by others. To identify athlete’s foot, here is a list of signs and symptoms that have been detected from numerous previous cases of foot fungus.
The most common athlete’s foot symptoms are itching and reddened skin. But these are not the only signs of athlete’s foot. When the skin begins to show tiny cracks or when it seems to peel off abnormally in greater amounts, the foot fungus infection has commenced. There may not be any itching at the start but, as time goes by, a burning or stinging sensation spreads out and is suffered by the whole foot.
Other symptoms of athlete’s foot on the skin are blisters and bleeding. Blisters are sometimes formed when the shoes don’t fit too well. But blisters can also form when the skin has an allergic reaction, such as the reaction to the presence of foot fungus. The blisters will have fluid inside, which is produced by lymph nodes to protect the vulnerable skin underneath, which is trying to grow.
When these blisters are forcefully opened, the still weak and young skin cannot defend itself from the microorganisms that cause athlete’s foot. The exposed vulnerable skin may crack and bleed. Worse, it will be defenseless against bacterial attack. Exposed blisters are similar to open wounds. They give open access to bacteria.
There will also be instances when the blisters formed by athlete’s foot transform into calluses or scales. The scaly skin can be removed by scrubbing and then cleaned by anti-fungal creams. But it will take several weeks of persistence to remove these scaly symptoms.
The same microorganism that caused athlete’s foot can attack the toenails. Foot fungus is not limited to the skin. The toenails are also susceptible. Once the toenails are affected by athlete’s foot, several instantly recognizable symptoms can be found.
Some of these athlete’s foot signs on the toenails are foul odor and white marks on the nail. The nails are thicker than normal. And large amounts of debris are found beneath the toenails. Another distinct athlete’s foot symptom on the toenail is discoloration. The toenails acquired a sickly yellow or brown color.
Athlete’s foot may show other symptoms that are not described here. To be on the safe side, the doctor must be consulted when something unusual is happening to the feet. The feet are important parts of the body. The whole weight relies on them. They should remain healthy and free from foot fungus.