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Athlete's foot
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- Superficial Skin Infection on the skin on the foot, caused by a fungus
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- A rash with cracks in the skin, and wet, peeling skin tissue is common.
- Fungus likes to grow in warm, dark, moist places, so this rash is usually seen in the creases between the toes, in the summer.
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- The cause is almost always one of these two species of fungi, which invade the most superficial layers of skin, causing a superficial Skin Infection:
- Trichophyton rubrum
- Trichophyton tonsurans
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- A rash in the creases between the toes, which appears moist and has cracks in the skin, is usually enough to diagnose tinea pedis.
- Elimination of the rash by the use of a topical anti-fungal cream or ointment is another way to make this the likely diagnosis.
- It is possible to gently scrape a small area of skin affected by the rash, and to culture this in the laboratory on "dermatophyte medium" (protein that encourages the growth of fungus) to prove the rash is caused by fungus.
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- Teenagers are more likely to be affected than younger children.
- Using community pools where the
surfaces are wet in the pool area and in the shower area, lets fungus spread from one foot to another.
- Diabetics, but anyone can develop a fungus infection
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- A topically applied anti-fungal cream or anti-fungal ointment successfully treats this condition. Usually, several weeks of treatment are necessary.
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- Raw, peeling areas of skin can occur until the condition is treated.
- Bacterial infection, on top of the fungal infection, can occur, resulting in non-healing. This will require a combination treatment in order to heal.
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- When there is a wet-appearing rash between the toes accompanied by areas of cracked skin, people often treat this with over-the-counter cream or ointment from the drugstore. If healing does not occur within a few days, it is best to show the rash to your physician for professional advice.
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- Eczema produces a skin rash, but it would not be likely between the toes.
- Scabies is a Skin Infection caused by a mite. The mite can be seen under the microscope if gentle scrapings of skin are examined.
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