Basic Foot & Toenail Care

It is easy to prevent athlete’s foot where bare feet encounter fungus by practicing good foot hygiene. You can prevent fungal infection by practicing the following:

• Wash feet daily with soap and water; dry carefully, especially between the toes

• Avoid walking barefoot; use shower shoes in public showers.

• Reduce perspiration by using talcum powder

• Wear light and airy shoes

• Change shoes and socks regularly to decrease moisture

• Wear synthetic blend socks that wick away moisture, and change them frequently if you perspire heavily

Not all fungus conditions are athlete’s foot

Other conditions, such as eczema and psoriasis, may mimic athlete’s foot.

Nails that are acute or in the early stages of infection may simply have some white spots or a white linear line.

Chronic nail conditions may appear thickened, discolored, brittle, or hardened (to the point that the patient is unable to trim the nails on their own).

The nails may be painful to touch or with closed shoe gear, or the nail condition may be purely cosmetic and not painful at all.

Factors that can cause onychomycosis or additional toenail changes include:

• environment: dark, closed, and damp like the conventional shoe

• trauma: blunt or repetitive, heredity, compromised immune system, carbohydrate-rich diet, vitamin deficiency or thyroid issues, poor circulation or PVD, poor-fitting shoe gear, pedicures received in places with unsanitary conditions.