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How to try on, buy and take care of shoes so that they do not become the kingdom of mycosis? About 200 types of fungi inhabit the human foot. Most of them are not pathogenic, but some of them can harm us a lot. In addition, dangerous fungi also transfer from our feet to our shoes.
Almost 200 different types of fungi inhabit human feet. American scientists from the National Human Genome Research Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, mapped the distribution of various species of fungi on human skin. They live on the entire surface of the human body, but are most likely to be found on the heels, between the toes and under the nails. Most species inhabit the heels – about 80 kinds live there. 60 kinds of fungi were found under the fingernails, and 40 kinds of fungus between the toes. Fortunately, most of them are not dangerous to us, because we live in symbiosis with them. These harmless microorganisms effectively protect us against pathogenic fungi, keeping their numbers at a safe level. However, when the body’s immunity is weakened or the skin is wounded, pathogenic fungi gain an advantage.
Shoes and mycosis
Even on a healthy foot, when the shoe becomes warm and humid, the fungus can begin to multiply dangerously quickly. As the foot sweats more than the rest of the body, shoes are usually slightly damp. If they are additionally made of air-tight materials, they are more difficult to dry. Such a shoe is an ideal environment for the growth of fungi.
In a shoe that was previously put on by a person suffering from mycosis, there may be spores produced by fungi, which they use to reproduce. They are located in the flaky skin of a person suffering from mycosis – the husk lost by the sick person may stick to our foot. Contact with the exfoliated fragment of the fungal skin often becomes the cause of infection. In a shoe store, it is enough to put your bare foot in the shoe that was previously tried on by a sick person with mycosis.
How not to get infected with mycosis by buying shoes
In order not to get infected with mycosis in a shoe store, remember a few rules:
1) Use disposable feet when measuring footwear. If they are not in the store, simply cancel the purchase.
2) Be especially careful in the fitting room – when taking off your shoes, you should not step with your bare feet on the carpet. You can put, for example, a plastic bag.
3) New shoes should be wiped at home with a cloth soaked in disinfectant liquid.
We spend almost half of our lives in shoes, so it is worth buying the most suitable ones for our feet. So what? Comfortable shoes must not be too tight, we must be able to move our fingers freely. Avoid those made of plastic – the best shoes are leather or made of lightweight materials that allow air to pass through. We should not wear the same shoes for several consecutive days or store them in plastic bags. Let them dry so that fungi do not multiply in them.
Symptoms of athlete’s foot
Anyone can develop athlete’s foot. It is not dangerous, but burdensome. It often itches, sometimes it hurts, it always disfigures the feet. It can also spread to other parts of the body. Symptoms of ringworm are itchy, irritating spots on the skin, most commonly between the toes. The skin can also crack, peel and even bleed. If not properly treated, the infection can become chronic and spread to the soles of the feet. The skin will get very dry and hard there. This is called “moccasin” or “plantar” mycosis. Untreated, the disease can also affect the nails, which then turn yellow, thickened, dry and brittle.
Treatment of athlete’s foot
There are a number of agents available, many of which are described as antifungal drugs. This does not necessarily mean that they destroy the fungus. Most of them simply inhibit their development. Eventually the fungi die naturally and are eliminated along with the dead skin cells. It is important that the treatment, usually lasting several weeks, is completed. Mere relief of symptoms does not mean that the disease is completely cured. There are also preparations that have a fungicidal effect, which means that they destroy the fungus, not just isolate it. There are measures available that require only one use. The fungus spores can remain in a shoe for up to four weeks after the disease has resolved. Therefore, after treating mycosis of the feet, we must disinfect our shoes with preparations available in pharmacies. Let’s not forget about roller skates, ice skates and ski boots. In the case of socks, a good wash is enough.
Text: Halina Pilonis
Medical consultation: Aleksandra Rymsza, MD, PhD, specialist in dermatology, Medicover
Źródła:
http://dermatologia.mp.pl/choroby/chorobyskory/show.html?id=73239
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/athletes-foot-topic-overview
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/athletes-foot-cause