Athletes foot -- it's not just for ball players anymore!

This is one of the most common skin conditions there is. Many people will experience it at least once in their life. Although it is more frequently found among teenage and adult males, athletes feet can affect anyone of any age.

Athletes foot, or tinea pedis as it is called in Doctor-talk, is a fungal infection that is caused by a fungus that is always present on the human skin and especially on the feet. Like mushrooms, this fungus thrives in a dark, moist, and warm environment like that which can be found in the average shoe. It got its' name because of the number of infected feet that spent their days in warm and moist sneakers while their owners played sports.

Athletes foot is highly contagious and can be transmitted by simply walking barefoot across floors where other people who have athletes feet have walked. If you have a propensity towards sweaty feet, and you wear tight shoes, or socks made from non- breathing synthetic fibers, and don't tend to try your feet well when they get wet, you too can be the proud owner of athletes feet because that's all it takes to get infected.

While all cases do not look exactly the same, you can generally count on seeing cracked and peeling skin between the toes, redness or scaly skin on the soles and sides of the feet, and, sometimes, groups of tiny, itchy blisters which are sometimes accompanied by a burning sensation..

Now that you know all of this, the bad news is that not all foot rashes are actually athletes feet and treating some other foot conditions with medicine designed for athletes feet, can actually make your feet worse off then they were before you tried to help them. That's why you should always see a doctor and have your foot condition diagnosed.

The doctor will examine your feet and will most likely take some skin scrapings and send them off to the lab to be tested. The lab will examine the skin under a microscope looking for the fungi that cause athletes feet. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, you will usually be given a prescription for an oral anti-fungal pill. Sometimes you may also get a prescription for an anti- fungal cream. The itching and burning should subside within a few days after you begin treatment. It is important, however, that you continue the prescribed routine until all of your medicine is gone. This prevents the fungus from returning stronger than it was before.

You can help avoid the problem by following these tips:

Wash and dry your feet every day, especially between your toes. Avoid wearing tight shoes, socks made out of non-breathable synthetic materials, and walking barefoot especially in public locker rooms and swimming pool decks.

Although athletes feet will burn and itch like the devil, no one has died of it yet that I know of. Do yourself a favor, however, and get treatment if you have the symptoms. Your feet will love you for it.