Causes of Athletes Foot

Athletes foot is a common ailment, and is where a fungus which is usually fairly harmless has gotten out of control and begun to cause damage to the foot.

The damage can be sores and pustules, particularly between the toes, and also cause the soles of the feet to crack, causing bleeding and a burning or stinging sensation. Athletes foot is easily avoidable in the first place, but is equally easy to treat.

The cause of athletes foot can be a few reasons. As explained, athletes foot is caused by a fungus which usually stays on the surface of the skin feeding off the dead skin cells. The fungi may have become too abundant or has been allowed entry underneath the surface of the skin causing the infection. One of the most common ways the fungi can penetrate the surface of the skin of the foot is by open wounds such as cuts, chafes or other abrasions which have removed the skin.

Athletes foot can also develop without the presence of cuts or abrasions. The fungi which cause athletes foot tends to thrive in moist and warm conditions, therefore the spaces in between the toes particularly can become a sanctum for the fungi, and very often the starting point for athletes foot. Athletes foot can develop elsewhere on the foot also, and people whose feet spend prolonged periods of time in moisture or perspiration-causing footwear can often find themselves more prone to development of athletes foot.

Athletes foot is also contagious, meaning it is a pathogen which can be passed from person to person. The ways in which this most commonly occurs are in places where floors are walked upon without footwear, such as showers and locker rooms in sports centres, swimming pools and the like.