Tinea pedis, or foot fungus. When summer arrives, the incidence of tinea pedis is very high. However, we meet so many patients in the clinic who believe that tinea pedis cannot be cured and that they will get other diseases if they are cured, which is actually a misconception. Tinea pedis, a skin disease caused by superficial fungal infection, mainly invades the epidermis, hair, and nail plate. Long-term untreated tinea pedis can cause some complications such as onychomycosis (gray nails) and dermatophytosis. In addition, it can even cause deep fungal infections that can be life-threatening if there are systemic diseases such as diabetes and kidney disease, and when a person’s resistance is reduced. So, why do many patients report that they suffer from other diseases after their tinea pedis is cured? They think that they have not lost the “poisonous gas” in their body. In fact, the fungus needs a certain temperature and humidity to grow on the surface of our body. When we suffer from some other diseases, our body condition changes, such as body temperature increases; our living condition also changes, such as lying in bed, not wearing leather shoes, etc.. The fungus leaves the suitable temperature and humidity and tends to die or non-reproduce. At this point, we feel less symptomatic, or even “better”. This is the reason why so many of us feel better when we are sick with foot odor. However, when our body recovers and we are able to work normally, our body temperature and our living conditions are restored, the fungus that has not completely died resurfaces, making us feel better again when we have foot fungus. Therefore, there is no scientific basis for saying that “curing foot fungus will lead to other diseases”. If you have foot fungus, you should treat it promptly.