“I suffer from athlete's foot and that's why I don't dare to wear open shoes anymore. What can I do about this?'
Drugist Linda gives advice
A large number of people have ever had to deal with athlete's foot. Annoying, because it is accompanied by itching, chapping, an unpleasant smell and it also doesn't look that fresh. Fortunately, there are products available at your drugstore that you can remedy yourself with the right advice. But how does athlete's foot (also called swimmer's eczema) actually develop?
How do you get athlete's foot ?
Athlete's foot settles on the feet (usually between the toes) when they are moist for an extended period of time. People often contract the fungus during sports or while swimming, in short in places where a lot of people walk barefoot. Fungi thrive in a moist environment and are highly contagious. Athlete's foot starts with flakes, redness and itching in places where the skin softens. The skin can then tear or be scratched, giving bacteria free rein. They cause the unpleasant odor. Especially people with skin problems, diabetes or other diseases that affect the natural defenses of the skin are prone to it. The drugstore with the quality mark recognized self-care specialist can advise you what is best to do, which products are best in your situation and how you should use them. This way you can walk around in slippers this summer with peace of mind.
How do you treat athlete's foot?
Most over-the-counter medicines contain clotrimazole or miconazole. Both agents inhibit the growth of fungi, but do not kill them. Products containing terbinafine do. However, the latter should not be used during pregnancy and lactation and should generally only be used for a week until the skin has healed. You use clotrimazole and miconazole for three to four weeks. These must also be used after the complaints have disappeared to ensure that all fungi have disappeared. Fungal nails can also be treated with the above agents, as these are also caused by fungi.
Tips to prevent athlete's foot
Wear flip-flops in the swimming pool or in the sports hall, wash your feet every day with as little soap as possible (to prevent the acidity of the skin from being affected) and dry them very well between the toes. Preferably change your shoes daily to let them dry well and make sure your shoes are made of leather or linen or wear open shoes.
Prevent re-contamination
Put on clean cotton socks every day that allow your feet to breathe well. I also give as a tip that it is smart to wash the socks inside out, so that all skin flakes are properly removed in the washing machine. The biggest source of recontamination is the dander that remains in shoes and socks. A sprinkler powder based on miconazole therefore supports very well if the athlete's foot proves to be persistent. Every day sprinkle in shoes and socks and you're done. Miconazole nail polish can also be used with starting fungal nails, because it runs well into the cuticles and inhibits fungal growth there. This brings me straight to my next tip:throw away nail polishes you've used before on fungal nails and don't share them with others. Buy a few new colors and get those summery sandals out.
Who is Linda?
Linda is a certified druggist and works in a drugstore with the Certified Specialist in Self-Care quality mark, which is the quality mark for good advice on over-the-counter medicines. On www.erkendspecialistinzelfzorg.nl you can find out which drugstores in your area have this quality mark and what you as a customer can expect from these drugstores.
Advertorial – This article is powered by CBD.
