Athlete's Foot Symptoms

As anybody who's experienced athlete's foot before will tell you, athlete's foot symptoms aren't a pleasant experience, particularly if the symptoms are severe. Some people who develop athlete's foot experience an almost eczema-like drying, cracking and flaking of the skin of the foot, which can cause itching. Other people may experience open sores and pustules, cracking of the feet which causes bleeding and a fairly severe burning and stinging sensation.

As with all ailments, the sooner you catch the symptoms and get adequate treatment, the less severe the infection is likely to become, and the sooner it will be cleared up altogether. The first and most common of athlete's foot symptoms may be noticing a reddening and sore developing in between your toes.

If the sore doesn't heal and appears to get worse, and other symptoms such as drying and cracking of your skin begin to occur, it is highly probably you indeed have athlete's foot. As with all medical matters, you're best course of action is to consult your G.P. who can confirm with much more certainty that you are in fact suffering from athlete's foot and not some other skin condition. Upon doing so, you will likely be given a prescription to allow you to treat your athlete's foot at home. This is usually tablets you swallow, a special athlete's foot cream, ointment or powder. It is very important that you follow the instructions which come with your prescription or the packaging, as these provide optimum results. You should also be aware that just because an infection appears to have cleared up, often it is still there but you just can't see it. By continuing to treat feet for a few weeks after they appear to have healed, you will ensure you haven't left the door half open for an easy reoccurrence.