QUESTION:

I am a male, 37 years old and over the past couple years I have experienced recurring athletes foot.  I don’t know whether it is relevant or not, but it seems that I most frequently get it when I travel on business.  Whenever I feel it coming on I use whatever over the counter lotion or spray I can find, but as you can probably imagine it is quite unpleasant.  Is there any way to prevent athletes foot altogether?  What is the best over the counter treatment to use?

ANSWER:

Athletes Foot is certainly not something that is very pleasant, and it is something that you might have to see a doctor about if it gets severe or does not go away with over the counter treatments.

Athletes foot is a common fungal infection of the skin on your feet, typically starting in between your toes.  This fungus grows in moist and warm locations, which is why it frequently starts between your toes.  As you probably have figured out already, it can be difficult to get rid of, but there are some things you can do to help minimize it when it occurs and/or that you can do to prevent it altogether.

First, because the fungus likes warm, moist locations it is important to keep your feet dry.  If your feet sweat a lot then you will probably be well served to take off your socks and shoes when socially appropriate, perhaps in the evenings while at home.  This will let your feet dry out, which certainly won’t hurt and likely will help to some extent at least.

Second, if your feet sweat a lot, or when you actually are in the midst of a bout with athletes foot, you may find it helpful to change your shocks at least once during the day, maybe even twice or more.  Keeping your feet dry is extremely helpful in fighting this fungus, so walking around with moist socks all day is not going to be helpful.

Third, when you are treating an outbreak of athletes foot you should purchase one of the over the counter sprays and spray your shoes as well.  It is possible that the fungus can get trapped in your shoes and every time you wear them you are reinfecting your feet.  If you have several pairs of shoes you may also find it useful to rotate which shoes you wear, giving the inside of the shoe plenty of time to dry out between each time you wear them.

Fourth, white socks tend to be much better at absorbing moisture, so you might want to wear white whenever possible, particularly when you are in the midst of battling athletes foot.  The trouble with colored socks is that the dyes used sometimes act to make absorbing moisture difficult.

Fifth, take particular care to dry your feet after you shower.  Make sure you dry between your toes and then let your feet completely air out before putting on socks and shoes. 

Finally, because the athletes foot fungus can be difficult to get rid of you are going to be best served by trying some over the counter treatment, such as Lotrimin or Tinactin, as soon as you feel an outbreak coming on.  Many feel that Lotrimin Ultra is one of the best of the over the counter treatments, but Tinactin, particularly Tinactin spray can be quite effective as well.

If you have any other questions please let me know.  But do remember, if symptoms get worse and/or over the counter solutions are not working you should see your family physician to discuss whether prescription strength treatment is required.

For more information see:

Athlete’s Foot (from the Mayo Clinic)

Athlete’s Foot - Topic Overview (from WebMD)

Good luck!