Select a condition Absence seizures Acne ADHD Age-related macular degeneration AIDS Alzheimer's disease AMD Amebic dysentery Anal tears Angina, stable Angina, unstable Ankle sprain Anorexia Anxiety Appendicitis Arthritis Asthma in adults Asthma in children Athlete's foot Atrial fibrillation Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Autism Back pain Bacterial vaginosis Bad breath Bedsores Bedwetting Bell's palsy Benign prostatic hyperplasia Bipolar disorder Bladder infection in women Blood pressure Breast cancer Breast pain Bronchiectasis Bronchiolitis Bronchitis Bulimia Bunions Burning mouth syndrome Burns and scalds Canker sores Cardiac arrest Carpal tunnel syndrome Cataracts Cellulitis and erysipelas Chickenpox Childbirth, heavy bleeding Childbirth, tear or cut Chlamydia Chronic bronchitis Chronic fatigue syndrome Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Chronic prostatitis Chronic tension type headache Cold sores Colic in babies Colon and rectal cancer Colon and rectal cancer screening Colonic diverticular disease Common cold Conjunctivitis Constipation in adults Constipation in children COPD Crib death Deep vein thrombosis Dementia Depression in adults Depression in children Diabetes, type 1 Diabetes, type 2 Diarrhea in adults Diarrhea in children Diverticular disease Ear infection, middle ear Ear infection, outer ear Ear infection with discharge Ear infection with fluid Ear pain during air travel Ear wax Eczema Emphysema Endometriosis Enlarged prostate Epilepsy Episiotomy Erection problems Essential tremor Febrile seizures Fertility problems Fibroids Flu Gallstones Genital herpes Genital warts GERD GERD in children Glaucoma Gonorrhea Gout Group B streptococcus H. pylori infection Halitosis Hay fever Headache, chronic tension type Head lice Heart and circulation problems in diabetes Heart attack Heartburn Heart failure Heavy periods Heel pain Hemorrhoids Hepatitis B Hepatitis C Hernia Herpes, genital Herpes simplex eye infection High blood pressure High blood pressure in pregnancy High cholesterol HIV infection Hyperactivity IBS Incontinence in women Infection in newborn babies Infertility Influenza Insomnia in adults Irritable bowel syndrome Jaundice in newborn babies Jet lag Kidney infection Kidney stones Leg cramps Leg ulcers Lewy body dementia Lung cancer Lyme disease Macular degeneration Malaria prevention Manic depression Mastalgia Measles, mumps and rubella: prevention Melanoma Meniere's disease Meningococcal disease Menopause Migraine in adults Migraine in children MMR prevention Morning sickness Multiple sclerosis Nail infection, fungal Neck pain Nicotine addiction Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma Nosebleeds in children Obesity Obsessive-compulsive disorder OCD Oral thrush Osteoarthritis Osteoporosis Ovarian cancer Painful periods Pancreas cancer Panic attacks Parkinson's disease PCOS Pelvic inflammatory disease Perineal care Peripheral arterial disease Peripheral vascular disease Pneumonia Polycystic ovary syndrome Postpartum depression Postpartum hemorrhage Post-traumatic stress disorder Preeclampsia Pregnancy, nausea Premature birth Pressure sores Prostate cancer Prostatitis, chronic Psoriasis PTSD Raynaud's disease Rectal cancer screening Recurrent cystitis Reflux in children Rheumatoid arthritis Scabies Schizophrenia Seasonal allergy Shoulder pain Sickle cell anemia Sickle cell disease SIDS Sinusitis Skin cancer (melanoma) Skin cancer (squamous cell) Sleep apnea Sleep problems in children Slipped disk Smoking Sore throat Stomach ulcers Stress headache Stress incontinence Stroke, emergency care Stroke prevention Sudden infant death syndrome Swimmer's ear Tennis elbow Tension headache Testicular cancer Thrush (oral) Tic douloureux Tinnitus Tonsillitis Toxoplasmosis in pregnancy Trigeminal neuralgia Underactive thyroid Urinary tract infections in children Varicocele Varicose veins Vascular dementia Warts Whiplash Wisdom teeth, impacted Wrinkles Yeast infection, vagina

Select treatment area Bladder & Kidneys Blood Brain & nervous system Cancer Children's health Diabetes Digestive system Ear, nose & throat Eating & weight Eyes Fertility Heart and circulation Hormones Infections Lungs & breathing Men's health Mental health Mouth Muscles & bones Pregnancy & childbirth Sexual health Skin Sleep Staying healthy Travel health Women's health

Athlete's foot is a skin infection. It can make the skin on your feet flaky and itchy. It's easy to catch athlete's foot in warm, damp places, such as in the changing rooms and showers in gyms. Athlete's foot isn't serious, but it can make your feet sore. There are treatments that work, and you can buy many of them over the counter.

It's a good idea to start treatment as soon as you notice symptoms. Otherwise the infection can spread, and then it's harder to get rid of.

• Athlete's foot is a skin infection caused by a tiny fungus.
• You usually get it between your toes first.
• Lots of people get it at some point. It's easy to pick it up in places where there are shared changing rooms, such as in gyms and swimming pools.
• Usually, athlete's foot makes your skin itch and peel. But some people don't have any symptoms.
• You can treat athlete's foot yourself with medication that you can buy from a drugstore.
• You can reduce your chance of getting athlete's foot by washing your feet and wearing clean socks every day. For more tips, see How to keep from getting athlete's foot.
• If you have diabetes or if you have a weak immune system because you have HIV infection or AIDS, or you're taking certain medications (such as chemotherapy), and you think you have athlete's foot, see your doctor. Athlete's foot can cause more serious problems in people with these conditions.

There are lots of myths about athlete's foot. See how much you know by taking our quiz.

Athlete's foot is caused by a fungus. The types of fungus that cause athlete's foot live in warm, damp places, such as around swimming pools and in changing areas and showers.

It may seem strange to have an infection caused by a fungus. But the types of fungus that cause athlete's foot are so tiny that you can't even see them. They're just another type of organism that can cause an infection, like bacteria or a virus.

Lots of people get athlete's foot because it's so easy to catch it.^{1 2}

• If you often walk around barefoot, you may catch the infection from the floor.
• You can catch it if you touch the skin of someone who already has it.
• You can catch athlete's foot at home if someone in your family has it.
• If your pets have athlete's foot, you may get it from them.

Your feet are the perfect place for this infection to grow, especially between your toes. Your feet are warm, often slightly damp, and full of keratin. Fungi feed on keratin, which is a protein found in nails, skin and hair.³

Sometimes the fungus spreads to your toenails or to your fingernails and infects them, too.^{1 4} It's much harder to get rid of an infection in your toenails or your fingernails. That's why it's important to treat athlete's foot as soon as you know you have it. To find out more about the best way to deal with infections that have spread to your nails, see Fungal nail infections.

If you have athlete's foot, bacteria may get under your skin. And this can make the infection worse and harder to treat. Your foot may hurt and smell bad if this happens.³

Some people are more likely to get athlete's foot than others. To find out more, see Who's at risk for athlete's foot?

If you've had athlete's foot before, you may be able to spot the symptoms. But if you're not sure, it's wise to check with your doctor. There are lots of skin problems that look like athlete's foot, but they need different treatments.

You should go to see your doctor if:

• You're not sure what your skin problem is
• You've tried creams and powders for athlete's foot and they don't seem to work
• Your feet are very sore
• You think your nails might be affected.

When you go to see your doctor, they will look at your feet and ask you about your symptoms. Your doctor may scrape a small piece of skin onto a piece of glass (called a slide) and look at it under a microscope. This will help your doctor find out whether you have an infection caused by a fungus. Sometimes doctors send a small piece of skin to a laboratory to find out exactly what type of fungus is causing your infection. Your doctor is more likely to do this if you've already used a treatment and it hasn't worked.

Your doctor may also talk to you about what you can do to keep from getting athlete's foot again. To find out more, see How to keep from getting athlete's foot.

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 2008. All rights reserved.