Treatment Athletes Foot

This section is about what over the counter treatments are available (not all treatments may be available in that country) and how they help.

Please check all ingredients and check one is not allergic or sensitive to them
For external use only.
Make sure one uses anti-fungal preparation for correct length of time for it to be effective.
Products should not be used on scalp,broken nails, eyes and mucus membranes i.e. nostrils and around lips.
Feet should be washed thoroughly and dried before using products.

The aim is to stop the yeast infection growing and also to kill the yeast infection.

Products are available in many forms.

Forms	When to use ideally
Sprays/solution	for hairy or hard to reach areas
Creams/gels	for large areas
Powder	used in shoes/socks and can be used with other gels/creams/spray solutions

These work by disrupting the fungal cells (they break down the wall of the yeast cell, the cell membrane by stop producing a product called ergosterol).
They also have antibacterial properties and are useful if a bacterial infection has occurred in a yeast infection and can be used on large areas.
To be effective use it according to the length the manufacturer states.
Please note miconazole and ketoconazole containing products can interact with warfarin and other blood thinning agents as well as cholesterol ‘Statin’ medication.

(Terbinafine)

This product has a wide range of fungal activity and works by stopping the chemical needed by the fungus to grow.
It is very strong and effective and requires a shorter length of time to kill the infection. It should not be used longer than seven days.

These will help to reduce inflammation and itching. Please note steroid creams/products cannot be used longer than seven days and not on face.
They must be used sparingly and not on any existing infection.
The skin must not be open or broken and can only be applied only to a small area.
Side effects include:
- Transient burning or stinging
- Worsening and spreading of misdiagnosed fungal infection
- Reversible thinning of the skin
- Stretch marks
- Allergic contact dermatitis
- Acne vulgaris
- Skin develops clusters of itchy and painful blisters, often on the face and neck, or is unwell with a fever and swollen local lymph nodes (signs of eczema herpeticum), this requires a same-day appointment.
- Reversible, mild hypopigmentation (change of skin colour – becomes lighter skin)
- Excessive hair growth at the site of application
- Skin thinning

The risks of skin thinning with topical corticotosteroids are increased with:

- Using potent or very potent topical corticosteroids
- Inappropriate long-term continuous use
- Treating sensitive sites where the skin is thinner, e.g. face or genital areas
- Using topical corticosteroids under occlusion, e.g. a nappy, dressing, or when applying in skin folds
- Treating large areas.

The Pharmaceutical Journal, August 2021;Online:DOI:10.1211/PJ.2021.1.98990

This product is believed to stop fungal cell growth. It is active against all fungal causing athletes foot but has no anti-bacterial properties.
It can be applied to broken or unbroken skin. Sometimes stinging can occur; it should be used up to six weeks.

Zinc has anti stringent properties (i.e. can absorb moisture) and reduce inflammation (redness and swelling) and is useful in dry scaling tissue conditions.
It should be used for four weeks for effective results.

It helps to remove the silvery scales in dry skin athletes foot. (It increases moisture to the top layer of skin making it softer and easier to remove) and allows other antifungal drugs to penetrate more into the skin and improves their effectiveness. (Hence it is normally found with other antifungal ingredients).
Salicylic acid itself has no or little antifungal activity.
Salicylic acid should not be used by anyone who is sensitive to salicylates.

This stops yeast fungal cells when they divide to make more yeast fungal cells.
It is normally used in serious infections and should be used at least 15 days after infection has cleared.
Treatment should not be longer than 4 weeks.