PODIATRIST DISCUSSES FUNGAL INFECTIONS

Skin conditions can be hard to identify. Is it dermatitis or hives? A breakout or an infection? Because rashes may need to be treated a certain way, if you don't know what you have, you may inadvertently be making it worse. Athlete's foot, for example, which affects the feet and toes belongs to a family of infections known as tinea. “These warm, dark, moist areas create the perfect environment for fungus to breed,” says Crystal Murray Holmes, DPM, podiatrist in Canton, MI, and an associate professor at the University of Michigan.

 

Dr. Crystal Holmes

 

Your best bet for treating fungal infections are antifungal creams and oral medications, according to Cedars Sinai. Be sure to wash your hands before and after applying the creams to keep the fungus from spreading further. Cedars Sinai recommends preventing infection by drying skin folds, feet, and the groin area well, and wearing clean, loose-fitting underwear. “Wear socks made of microfiber, which is designed to wick moisture away from the skin,” Dr. Holmes says.

 

Source: Michele Bender, Everyday Health [12/10/20]

Courtesy of Barry Block, editor of PM News