Is athlete’s foot contagious?
Is athlete’s foot contagious? If so, how to protect the family?
Tinea pedis is an infectious disease, it spreads as a result of direct contact with the source of infection, i.e. a sick person or spores of dermatophytes (pathogenic fungi) that have survived (maybe many months) on objects or surfaces with which the sick person had contact, e.g. in shoes, carpets, bathroom rugs, shower cubicles, cloakrooms, hot tubs and thermal baths. You can significantly reduce the risk of infection even if you have a family history of athlete’s foot, by following certain rules of conduct in everyday life. It is recommended to wash your feet daily, paying special attention to thoroughly drying them, as moisture and heat are very favorable conditions for the growth of fungi. You should change towels often and wash them at high temperatures. Always have your own care and hygiene items: a towel, scissors, nail file, clippers, pumice stone. It is good to wear airy cotton socks and natural plastic shoes. If this is not possible, after removing the shoes, wash the skin, dry it and follow the recommendations for the rest of the day. Socks should be changed as often as possible. You should never wear someone else’s shoes, socks, tights or borrow your own. In the case of excessive sweating of the feet, preventive preparations should be used, and in the event of sweating in this area, sweat should be removed as soon as possible, which facilitates skin infection by weakening the skin’s defense mechanisms. Also, do not go barefoot at home. Carpets and rugs on which a person with athlete’s foot has walked should also be washed. Prophylactic preparations (e.g. powders, creams) containing antifungal substances can be used. Of course, it is very important that a person with athlete’s foot undergoes the treatment prescribed by a dermatologist, disinfects the items they use, and decontaminates the bathtub or paddling pool afterwards.
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