What to do if the soles of your feet are itchy and red

If there are red spots and itching on the soles of the feet, the most common symptom is fungal infection, which is what we usually call tinea pedis or athlete's foot. Antibacterial and antifungal drugs should be used in time. In addition, ketoconazole cream and acrylamide drugs are relatively common. In addition to medication, you should pay attention to the cleanliness and hygiene of your feet, change your socks frequently, wear shoes with better breathability, etc.

What to do if the soles of your feet are itchy and red

Topical antifungal drugs are the main ones, the most commonly used one is Daktarin. Other azole antifungal drugs, such as ketoconazole cream, bifonazole, etc.; allylamine drugs: terbinafine. If the condition is severe, oral antifungal drugs should also be considered. The treatment course is generally longer, at least 4 weeks.

General care

While taking medication, patients with athlete's foot should pay attention to keeping their feet dry; shoes should be well ventilated, and choose socks that are more absorbent and breathable and loose shoes. It is not advisable to wear non-breathable shoes such as sports shoes and hiking shoes to avoid excessive foot sweating and aggravation of athlete's foot; keep feet clean, change socks frequently, wash feet every day, and dry feet and toes to avoid the growth of athlete's foot fungi in a relatively humid and high temperature environment; try to eat less or no irritating foods, and eat less foods that are easy to cause inflammation. Do not share foot washing utensils with others, especially if there is a history of such disease in the family.

How to determine if you have athlete's foot?

1. Foot odor after wearing shoes

Athlete's foot is a fungal infection that thrives in hot, humid conditions and can eat away at your skin. Substances produced by the breakdown of proteins mix with sweat to produce odor. The feet are severely ulcerated, but there is no foot odor, so the possibility of athlete's foot can basically be ruled out. If you wash your feet frequently, foot odor may not occur. Generally, there will be a smell after covering them for two days.

2. There is peeling between the fourth and fifth toes

This applies to more than 90% of situations. Since sweat is most easily accumulated on the toes, the place most suitable for fungal growth is the seams between the toes, and this is often where symptoms appear first. Itching, erosion, and peeling usually occur. If other parts of the body are very serious, but there are no symptoms between the little toes, the probability of it being athlete's foot is relatively small.