Learn about Athlete's foot symptoms from Consumer Reports Health.

Athlete's foot

What are the symptoms of athlete's foot?

Athlete's foot can cause lots of different symptoms, but you probably won't get all of them. The longer you have athlete's foot, the worse your symptoms are likely to be.

Source:
O'Donnell M, et al.
Tinea pedis.
In: Lorimer D, French G, O'Donnell M (editors). Neale's disorders of the foot: diagnosis and management. 6th edition. Churchill Livingstone, London, UK; 2001.

Some people with athlete's foot have no symptoms at all. These people never know they have the infection. But they can still pass it on to others.

Source:
Malcolm B.
Tinea pedis.
Practitioner. 1998; 242: 225.

If you have athlete's foot, you might get the following symptoms.

Source:
Malcolm B.
Tinea pedis.
Practitioner. 1998; 242: 225.

Source:
Hay RJ, Moore M.
Tinea pedis.
In: Champion RH, Wilkinson DS, Ebling FJG (editors). Textbook of dermatology. 6th edition. Blackwell Science, Oxford, UK; 1998.

Source:
American Academy of Family Physicians.
Tinea infections: athlete's foot, jock itch and ringworm.
Available at http://familydoctor.org/316.xml (accessed on 20 February 2009).

⁴

Itchy feeling between your toes, especially between your two smallest ones.
Stinging or burning between your toes.
Thickened skin on your feet.
Cracked or peeling skin.
Blisters on your feet.
Red patches of skin with a white, wet-looking surface.

If your athlete's foot gets worse, you might get other symptoms.

The skin on the soles of your feet might get thick and look leathery and red. This means the infection has spread to the sole of your foot.

Source:
Malcolm B.
Tinea pedis.
Practitioner. 1998; 242: 225.

²

Source:
Murray SC, Dawber RP.
Onychomycosis of toenails: orthopaedic and podiatric considerations.
Australasian Journal of Dermatology. 2002; 43: 105-112.

⁵
You might have a ring of scaly, reddish, raised skin on another part of your body, such as your leg. This is sometimes called

ringworm
A ringworm is a type of fungus that causes infections in your skin. The medical word for it is tinea. A ringworm infection in your foot is called athlete's foot.

ringworm, but it has nothing to do with worms.

Source:
American Academy of Family Physicians.
Tinea infections: athlete's foot, jock itch and ringworm.
Available at http://familydoctor.org/316.xml (accessed on 20 February 2009).

⁴ It's caused by the same types of fungus that give you athlete's foot. And it can be treated with the same medicine.

You might have raised bumps or ridges on the soles of your feet.

Source:
American Academy of Family Physicians.
Tinea infections: athlete's foot, jock itch and ringworm.
Available at http://familydoctor.org/316.xml (accessed on 20 February 2009).

⁴ These can be very itchy.
Your skin might get hot, red and swollen. This could mean that you have a bacterial

infection
You get an infection when viruses, bacteria, fungi or other tiny organisms get into your body. These bugs are so tiny that you can't see them without a microscope. For example, an infection in your airways causes the common cold. And an infection in your skin can cause rashes such as athlete's foot.

infection too.

Source:
Hay RJ, Moore M.
Tinea pedis.
In: Champion RH, Wilkinson DS, Ebling FJG (editors). Textbook of dermatology. 6th edition. Blackwell Science, Oxford, UK; 1998.

³ You'll need to take antibiotic treatment to get rid of this. Otherwise it might spread.

Source:
Springet K. Merriman L.
Assessment of the skin and its appendages.
In: Assessment of the lower limb. Churchill Livingstone, London, UK; 1995.

⁶ If you think you have a bacterial infection as well as athlete's foot, see your doctor.

You can get athlete's foot on the soles of your feet.

Sources for the information on this page:

O'Donnell M, et al.Tinea pedis.In: Lorimer D, French G, O'Donnell M (editors). Neale's disorders of the foot: diagnosis and management. 6th edition. Churchill Livingstone, London, UK; 2001.

Malcolm B.Tinea pedis.Practitioner. 1998; 242: 225.

Hay RJ, Moore M.Tinea pedis.In: Champion RH, Wilkinson DS, Ebling FJG (editors). Textbook of dermatology. 6th edition. Blackwell Science, Oxford, UK; 1998.

American Academy of Family Physicians.Tinea infections: athlete's foot, jock itch and ringworm.Available at http://familydoctor.org/316.xml (accessed on 20 February 2009).

Murray SC, Dawber RP.Onychomycosis of toenails: orthopaedic and podiatric considerations.Australasian Journal of Dermatology. 2002; 43: 105-112.

Springet K. Merriman L.Assessment of the skin and its appendages.In: Assessment of the lower limb. Churchill Livingstone, London, UK; 1995.

This information was last updated on Mar 06, 2009

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.

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