Athlete's foot - Who's at risk for athlete's foot?

Athlete's foot

Who's at risk for athlete's foot?

Anybody can get athlete's foot. But some people are more likely to get it than others.

You're more likely to get athlete's foot if:

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

Source:
Truong A, Friedlander SF.
Superficial fungal infections in adolescence.
Adolescent Medicine State of the Art Reviews. 2001; 12: 213-227.

Your feet sweat a lot
You use shared changing areas (for example, at a gym or school)
You live in a place where you share showers or baths with lots of other people (such as student dorms).
You have cuts on your feet (cuts make it easier for the fungus to get in and grow).

Adults are more likely to get athlete's foot than children.

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.

³ And men are more likely than women to get athlete's foot.

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.

⁴ If you have

diabetes
Diabetes is a condition that causes too much sugar to circulate in your blood. It happens when your body stops making a hormone called insulin (type 1 diabetes) or when insulin stops working (type 2 diabetes).

diabetes, you're more likely to get some types of infection, including those caused by a fungus, such as athlete's foot.

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).

⁵ You're also more likely to get it if you have problems with your

immune system
The immune system is made up of the parts of the body that are devoted to fighting infection. The body is constantly being threatened by infections from things like bacteria, viruses and parasites. The immune system fights these infections in different ways. At the microscopic level, the immune system uses antibodies and white blood cells, which travel in the blood and target infectious agents, such as bacteria. These microscopic parts of the immune system either kill the infectious agent directly, or take it to other parts of the body, like the spleen, where it can be dealt with. The lymph nodes are another important part of the immune system. Within them, white blood cells filter through the foreign material that has entered the blood, to see if there are any infections. When you have a swollen gland during a cold, this is actually a lymph node that is reacting to the infection. Unfortunately, it is possible for the immune system to become confused and to use its destructive powers to target healthy parts of the body. Diseases that result from this type of situation are called autoimmune diseases.

immune system.

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).

⁵ So if you have

HIV
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It's the virus that causes AIDS. It makes you sick by damaging cells called CD4 cells. Your body needs these cells to fight infections. You can get HIV by sharing needles for injecting drugs ,or by having sex without a condom with someone who already has the virus.

HIV infection or

AIDS
AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. People who are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) get AIDS when the virus has destroyed most of their immune system. When people have AIDS, their body isn't able to fight infections. So even common infections, such as colds, can cause serious problems.

AIDS or if you're having treatment that weakens your immune system (chemotherapy, for example), you're more likely to get athlete's foot.

Sources for the information on this page:

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

Truong A, Friedlander SF.Superficial fungal infections in adolescence.Adolescent Medicine State of the Art Reviews. 2001; 12: 213-227.

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.

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).

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.
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