Learn what a typical Athlete's foot prognosis is at Consumer Reports Health.

Athlete's foot

What will happen to me?

Athlete's foot isn't serious. But if you don't treat it, your feet can become sore. And the infection might spread to your fingernails, your toenails and other parts of your feet, as well as other places on your body, such as your arms, your legs or your chest. Treatment will make your feet feel better and get rid of the fungus that's causing your symptoms.

Athlete's foot can usually be cured. Even if you've had it for a long time, you should still be able to get rid of the infection completely. But it might come back.

It's especially important to treat it right away 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
A weak

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 (for example, from

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 because you're having chemotherapy).

If you have one of these conditions you're more likely to get 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 in addition to athlete's foot. This can cause more problems and is often harder to treat than athlete's foot on its own.

You'll probably need to treat athlete's foot for several weeks and maybe longer. If your skin is cracked or has ulcers or blisters from the athlete's foot, it might take a long time to heal.

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).

You don't have to stop playing sport or wearing sport shoes if you have athlete's foot. But it's a good idea to always wear something on your feet to keep from spreading the infection to other people. You can carry a pair of flip-flops in your gym bag, and wear these in the changing room and shower and when you walk around the swimming pool.

Sources for the information on this page:

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.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.

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