By Sumona
While rarely painful, foot fungus is often itchy, unpleasant to look at, and prone to spreading. Luckily, it’s also fairly easy to treat and prevent. However, if you’ve constantly found yourself contending with foot fungus, you may have come to view this condition as inescapable.
Fortunately, this is far from the case, and a little bit of consistent effort is generally all it takes to keep foot fungus at bay. So, if foot fungus is a regular problem for you, be mindful of the following behaviors.
3 Prime Mistakes That Land People With Foot Fungus
Failing to Bathe on a Regular Basis
Daily bathing is important for a variety of reasons. For starters, in the absence of a daily bath or shower, you’re liable to be affected by body odor issues, which can prove embarrassing in assorted business and social settings and cause you to feel self-conscious. Furthermore, failing to bathe on a regular basis can result in sweat and bacteria buildup, which, in turn, can result in foot fungus – as well as various other fungal infections.
So, if you’ve gotten into the habit of regularly skipping baths or showers, there’s no time like the present to correct this. A daily shower, for example, shouldn’t take up more than 10 to 15 minutes of your time. Additionally, when giving yourself a good scrub, make sure to pay special attention to areas that are prone to fungal infections, such as your feet and the spaces between your toes.
Given how conducive sweat is to foot fungus – and fungal infections in general – you should make a point of showering after engaging in a strenuous workout or any other activity that produces a fair amount of sweat. Even if you’ve already taken your daily bath or shower, a quick rinse after a good workout is strongly recommended.
Failing to Protect Your Feet in High-Risk Areas
Since foot fungus is contagious, you’d do well to protect your feet in high-risk areas. Such areas include gyms, swimming pools, locker rooms, and locker room showers. Additionally, if anyone with whom you cohabitate is suffering from foot fungus, you’ll need to take certain precautions around your home, as well.
To start with, you should avoid being barefoot in public spaces. For example, the next time you’re at the gym, make sure to keep your shoes and socks on – unless your preferred fitness activities specifically call for the removal of footwear. Secondly, the next time you find yourself at a swimming pool or in a locker room, make sure your feet are equipped with protective flip-flops.
Lastly, if you share a living space with someone who’s currently contending with foot fungus, avoid being barefoot on surfaces with which this individual’s feet have come into contact. By extension, consider using separate bathmats.
Failing to Alternate Footwear
Your footwear soaks up a fair amount of sweat, especially if you’re physically active. And since sweat buildup and fungal infections go hand-in-hand, it’s in your best interest to alternate your footwear on a regular basis. So, if you currently only own a single pair of shoes, now would be the time to splurge on another pair or two. This will ensure that each pair has sufficient time to air out before being worn again and cut back on wear-on-tear.
You’ll also need to change your socks on a consistent basis. In addition to putting on a fresh pair at the end of the day and when getting dressed in the morning, make sure to change your socks after working out or engaging in any other activities that cause your feet to sweat.
The longer you continue wearing sweaty socks, the longer your feet are going to remain in contact with your sweat – and the more likely a fungal infection is to spring up. Furthermore, in the interest of avoiding other types of fungal infections, you should consider investing in antimicrobial activewear.
Foot fungus can be a frustrating foe to contend with. Not only can it facilitate a fair amount of itching and burning, but it can also lead to embarrassment and immense irritation. To make matters worse, foot fungus is contagious, thereby placing anyone with whom you cohabitate at risk.
Luckily, avoiding this condition is anything but difficult. Steering clear of the mistakes outlined above can go a long way toward keeping your feet fungus-free.
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