One of the most frustrating aspects about athlete’s foot is that it recurs. This is due to two factors. We’ll get to those shortly. But first, we must identify the source of the illness. Let’s take a look at it more closely.
What is Athlete’s Foot?
Athlete’s foot is caused by a fungus. Small cracks in your skin allow the fungus to enter your body. That’s when things become a little problematic.
The fungus causes your body to react once it enters. Your feet get irritated and inflamed. It’s possible that they’ll acquire a strange odor or even drain.
You must eliminate the invading fungus in order to treat athlete’s foot. It may come from everywhere, not only on the surface of your skin. And now that I’ve stated that, I’m ready to discuss why so many athletes’ foot infections recur, even if you believe you’ve treated them.
Infections Return When You Stop Treatment Early
Athlete’s foot is commonly treated with topical antifungal treatment. This isn’t the worst choice: these creams may be really useful, especially if the infection is restricted to small areas of skin, such as on your heel.
However, there is a problem. The majority of persons who apply antifungal topical medications do so only until their symptoms disappear. Once the skin is no longer itchy and burning, they discontinue using the cream. This is an issue because the fungus isn’t totally gone even after your feet feel better, and this implies your symptoms will return after you stop using the fungus-fighting medication.
You could believe your athlete’s foot has returned at that moment. However, the fact is that it never really went away! I understand how tough it is to stick to a medicine regimen once the pain has subsided. I understand your perspective. ‘When there is no more pain or itching, everything has gotten better, right?’
My response is, “It may be better, but it is not well!” As I previously stated, using an antifungal medication for a limited time will alleviate your problems. The fungus, however, may continue to be active after the symptoms have faded. One reason your podiatrist should prescribe athlete’s foot medicine is because of this. Also, we’ll provide you step-by-step directions on how to complete the application; when to begin and discontinue your athlete’s foot therapy, for example.
In most cases, I advise patients to take their antifungal drugs twice daily for two weeks, no matter how much better the itching feels. If you have a serious infection, I may prescribe a particular medication and give different directions. For this reason, don’t look up your treatment instructions on the internet! Instead, apply the creams prescribed by your podiatrist for as many days and times as you’ve been told. Only then can an athlete’s infection be properly treated.
Treatment Options for Chronic Athlete’s Foot
What if you applied the topical cream as directed by your podiatrist for the whole duration of your treatment, but your symptoms persisted? Don’t worry, I’ve also got a solution to this issue.
As you can see, in certain circumstances, topical medicine alone isn’t enough to get rid of the fungal infection. Remember how I said that fungus enters the body through fissures in the skin? And that’s how your athlete’s foot got infected?
So, how about it? If the fungus won’t go away, you’ll have to resort to treatments that penetrate the skin. What if you have a moccasin-type athlete’s foot infection, for instance? (This happens when the fungus thickens the skin on your foot’s sole and heel. It can also lead to a toenail fungus infection.) Topical treatments don’t always work for this and other types of athlete’s foot. That implies we’ll have to choose other treatments. Otherwise, the fungal infection will return.
There you have it: the two most common causes of recurring fungal infections.
You discontinue your medications too soon. As a result, topical therapies are unable to completely eradicate the fungal infection.
You’ve picked the incorrect athlete’s foot treatment. Some skin disorders are the result of underlying issues. As a result, your podiatrist might have to prescribe oral medicine.
These are the two most prevalent causes of recurring athlete’s foot. They aren’t the only ones, though. That is to say, the only way to figure out why your infection continues reappearing is to have it checked by your podiatrist!
Have you done everything to get your athlete’s foot under control but it keeps coming back? It’s time to take charge! For a full examination, contact the foot specialist at DeNiel Foot and Ankle Center.
