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Conditions

Athlete's Foot

Picture of athlete's foot

You might think that slouching on the sofa with a bag of pork scratchings, abstaining from all athletic pursuits, would render you immune from this fungal infection of the foot. However, this condition is not simply the preserve of the sportsperson, as it’s estimated that it athlete’s foot is present in between 15% – 20% of UK adult population. The infection is caused by a number of fungal species which you can typically pick up from communal areas such as pools, showers and changing rooms, or anywhere where you may walk around barefooted. Athlete’s foot can lead to intense itching, cracked, blistered or peeling areas of skin, redness and scaling. However, sprays, creams and anti-fungal powders can be used to treat the condition.

What the Men in White Coats Say

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I suffer from the same problem and have been trawling the internet for a permanent solution but no joy so far. So far, the only solution that works for me is as below but it only stops it temporarily. Wash my feet with plenty of soap, then with diluted Detol and rinse with plenty of water afterwards. I use odour-eaters in-soles in my shoes. I wash these weekly by soaking in diluted detol. I am going to try replacing old socks and shoes say every month or every 2 months next to see if this will help.





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hi, have you tried soaking your feet in 2-3 table spoons of warm water for around 5 minutes a day? also i find that as i m dairy intolerant if i do not have any dairy my odour seems to go but as soon as i have some it comes back

I have incredably smelly feet, the smell is like rotten cheese or dog poo. my socks get very sweaty and wet even after a hour, after taking them off they become very stiff. My feet constantly smell and sweat whatever I put on my feet. Noteven washing them stops the smell. The soles of my feet sometimes look as if the skin is rotting away and are white in colour. I have been to the doctors and also asked the chemists who have given me various treatments which have not worked.





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i was told to use dekrarin so i did, it seems to be getting worse not better, i use a spray on my sox and shoes, then use cream 2 times a day, i get dead skin on top of the area and it gets itchy, i claw at my foot and can't help the skin coming off sounds awful but what can i do.





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hi, i have had athletes foot for a while now maybe about over a couple of years and i went to my local gp about it and they gave me a cream to help it go away but its not actually working it just takes the itch out of it but it is really really sore when it occurs. i am forever scrathing when its there. what can i do? and can you tell me why i keeps coming back?





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hi my dad suffers from as we persume tinea pedis but the creams and sprays he uses dont seem to work. Its appears flaky, red, and occasionally cut open threw serious irritation. The same thing has appeared on his legs and the groin area. Have you any idea what it could be as he is embarressed about going to his gp.





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hi im 38 and have suffered from smelly feet for about 3 years now. after several visits to my gp and the cream he supplied i think it was fucibit my feet are still the same. i have had white patches on my feet but nothing in between my toes. im totally embarassed with them and when im at work im so self concious about them that i feel i can smell them and thats with my shoes on. im at the end of my tether and its really starting to depress me.im constantly washing them and im buying new foot wear every 2 weeks. i cant afford to keep buying new shoes as its costly. im so desperate for a cure. please help





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Tiny holes on your feet which coincide with smell could also be pitted keratolysis: http://dermnetnz.org/bacterial/pitted-keratolysis.html





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For everyone who is posting here with comment on smells, itchiness, flaking and/or redness: it IS athlete's foot, and it may take months to get rid of just the symptoms, let alone the actual fungal infection. The problem is that you MUST get rid of old socks...even shoes if possible, if not treat them with the sprays and/or wash them. In some cases people battle with it all their life, but, once the symptoms dissappear, good hygeine is usually enough to keep it at bay.





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hi have had athletes foot for about 3 years now its between my oes on both feet ive had creams powders seen a dermitologist and he said its just athletes foot same as gp my skin between toes goes white then very itchy then i have to scratch till it goes also the tops of my toes get inflamed and itchy is there a cure as i cant cope with this any more unless my feet are amputated that would cure every think





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i have had athletes foot since i was about 4 or 5, im 22 now, when i was younger it was really bad so itchy i would scratch and rip the skin off till my feet bled. i have had ointments, creams and powders to treat it in the past now it just comes and goes, no where near as bad as it was but i still get it quite bad on my heels and toes and sometimes quite painfully itchy





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It looks like no one else has asked this question, so please fill in the rest of your details below.





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Content supplied by NHS Choices

Athlete's foot is a very common condition, which affects many people at some point during their lives. It is caused by a fungal infection, which affects the skin on your feet. The infection is normally mild and is easy to treat. Athlete's foot usually affects the skin in between your toes, causing it to be red, flaky and itchy. Read More »

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