What is athlete’s foot?
Athlete’s foot — also called tinea pedis — is a contagious fungal infection that affects the skin on the feet. It can also spread to the toenails and the hands. The fungal infection is called athlete’s foot because it’s commonly seen in athletes.
What causes athlete’s foot?
Athlete’s foot occurs when the tinea fungus grows on the feet. You can catch the fungus through direct contact with an infected person, or by touching surfaces contaminated with the fungus. The fungus thrives in warm, moist environments. It’s commonly found in showers, on locker room floors, and around swimming pools.
How common is athlete’s foot?
Athlete’s foot is common. Estimates suggest that 3% to 15% of the population has athlete’s foot, and 70% of the population will get athlete’s point at some time in their lives.
What are the symptoms of athlete’s foot?
Your symptoms depend on the type of athlete’s foot that you have.
- Toe web infection: A toe web infection is the most common type of athlete’s foot. It typically affects the skin between your fourth toe (ring toe) and fifth toe (pinkie toe). Your skin may change color, crack, peel or flake.
- Moccasin-type infection: A moccasin-type infection affects the bottoms of your feet, your heels and the edges of your feet. Your feet may be sore for a few days. Then, the skin on the bottom of your feet thickens and cracks. In rare cases, your toenails may get infected. They can thicken, break into small pieces and fall out.
- Vesicular-type infection: A vesicular-type infection typically affects the bottom of your feet, but it may appear anywhere on them. A vesicular-type infection features bumps or fluid-filled blisters (vesicles).
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Ulcerative infection: An ulcerative infection is the rarest type of athlete’s foot. Open sores (ulcers) often appear between your toes. Open sores may also appear on the bottom of your feet.
What are the benefits of ozonated coconut oil for Athlete's foot?
Coconut oil has long been used as a treatment for athlete’s foot for several reasons. The first is that it has strong antifungal properties that can eradicate mild or superficial fungal infections when applied topically. These benefits come from the lauric acid and antimicrobial lipids found in the medium chain fatty acids in coconut oil.
Coconut oil is also used to help wounds heal faster. Its anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, and antioxidant benefits can soothe skin irritation and flakiness by lubricating the skin and reducing healing time. This can also help to decrease redness and other visible symptoms of the infection.
