What is foot rot?

Foot erosion may be caused by tinea pedis, which is a fungal infection or viral infection. Especially for those who often sweat on the soles of their feet, they should wear breathable and comfortable shoes, otherwise it is easy to cause foot erosion and athlete's foot symptoms. When the feet are eroded, attention should be paid to the hygiene of the soles of the feet, and the soles of the feet should be sterilized and disinfected. Patients can learn about the specific treatment methods.

Erosive athlete's foot is caused by dermatophytes (fungi or mold). Excessive sweating and dampness of the feet or non-breathable shoes and socks can induce this disease. Among all types of athlete's foot, erosive athlete's foot is the most common type, which often occurs between the third and fourth, and between the fourth and fifth toes. Initially, the spaces between the toes are damp and whitish. After drying and scaling, the scaly skin is peeled off to reveal a moist, reddish eroded surface or accompanied by cracks, which is extremely itchy and prone to secondary infection. The pathogenic bacteria of this type of tinea pedis particularly like to grow and multiply in a humid and warm environment. Therefore, when it parasitizes between the toes with excessive sweating for a long time, it can easily cause cracking of the epidermis and turn white due to moisture infiltration. It is common in people who sweat a lot on their feet or often wear rain boots or rubber shoes with poor breathability. The cuticle stores too much water and becomes soaked and white.

Main hazards

What are the dangers of minor foot ulcer that you don’t know about?

Causes eczema, chapped hands and feet, and pain:

First of all, since the fungus is foreign, it destroys the outermost dense protective layer of the skin after gnawing on the skin, making the skin vulnerable to external stimuli. Coupled with the effect of the metabolites of the fungus itself, it is easy to cause eczema, blisters, peeling and other symptoms. Especially when it is transmitted to the hands, because the hands are often stimulated by chemicals, it is very difficult to heal, which brings a lot of inconvenience to work and life. In winter and spring, it can also cause chapped hands and feet. In mild cases, there will be obvious discomfort, while in severe cases, there will be obvious pain when walking.

Destroy the nails and spread to other parts of the body, causing tinea corporis, onychomycosis, etc.:

After the fungus has eaten the skin of the toes, it will covet the toenails which are rich in keratin. Especially when the toenails are damaged due to wearing tight shoes, it will quickly drill into them and destroy the nails. When the nails are infected with fungi due to scratching or other reasons, they will be spread to other parts of the body, where the fungi will take root and continue to eat other healthy skin on the body. At the same time, the excretion of waste will cause inflammation, which is tinea corporis and tinea cruris. Especially those who have poor physical fitness or are obese, sweat a lot, and have oily skin are very likely to develop tinea corporis and cruris, even on a large scale, and are often confused with other diseases such as lupus erythematosus.

Causes of foot odor:

The main cause of foot odor is related to local excessive sweating and bacterial and fungal infections. Many people have excessive sweating on their feet. When wearing non-breathable shoes, sweat softens the outermost layer of the local skin's stratum corneum. Local bacteria and fungi can decompose skin metabolites to produce unpleasant odors, and decompose urea in sweat to produce pungent ammonia. In addition, the lactic acid contained in sweat itself has a smell similar to yogurt. The mixture of several smells becomes an unpleasant odor, especially when the feet are covered in shoes for a long time, the smell of feet is even stronger.

Infect others and become a source of disease:

People with athlete's foot are the main source of infection. When feet touch the ground, dandruff containing fungi is scattered on the floor and in slippers. When another person walks over or gets their wet feet on it, the hungry fungi will not miss such a good opportunity to have a full meal and set up camp. There is a layer of adhesive substance on the surface that makes it easy to attach to the feet. Causing others or family members to be infected with athlete's foot or other fungal diseases. This is also the root cause of multiple infections in many families.