1. What is tinea pedis? Tinea pedis, also commonly called tinea pedis, “foot fungus,” athlete’s foot, or athlete’s foot, is a skin disease caused by a pathogenic fungal infection (mainly dermatophytes) of the epidermis of the feet or toes. The disease is not life-threatening, but it has a high incidence and is prone to recurrence or reinfection. 2. How do I get tinea pedis? Tinea pedis is associated with close contact with infectious agents. For example, there is a large number of filamentous fungal parasites on wooden tubs and slippers in public bathhouses. Therefore, the use of public baths and communal slippers is an important route of infection for tinea pedis. Once infected, the patient becomes a carrier and is prone to recurrence. Therefore, it is easy for one of the family members to be infected with the disease, resulting in cross-transmission of ringworm in the family. 3. Who is prone to tinea pedis? Working under hot and humid conditions for a long time and often wearing shoes that are not breathable are important reasons for developing tinea pedis. Generally speaking, the higher the humidity in the work environment, the higher the rate of the disease. The fact that some people have susceptibility genes for tinea pedis is also a factor in the development of the disease. 4. Why is there a high incidence of tinea pedis? The incidence of tinea pedis is higher in men than in women. This is because human feet are sweaty and the warm, moist environment provided by shoes is conducive to the growth and reproduction of fungi. There is evidence that socks, insoles and leather shoes are involved in the spread of tinea pedis, as these items provide a good medium for dermatophytes to reside and spread; on the other hand, they keep the foot in a locally moist and warm environment that is conducive to the reproduction and growth of dermatophytes. The prevalence of tinea pedis can be as high as 80% or more among workers who often wear rubber shoes. The higher the temperature and humidity of the work environment, the higher the rate of disease. It is also common for people to think that tinea pedis is a minor disease and not actively treat it, and the lack of knowledge about prevention and poor personal hygiene habits has led to the widespread prevalence of tinea pedis in the population. 5. What are the clinical manifestations of tinea pedis? The rash of tinea pedis mostly occurs between the toes or on the bottom of the feet and can be accompanied by severe itching. The five most common clinical types of tinea pedis are as follows: 1) hyperkeratotic: the entire sole of the foot is usually infected, characterized by the absence of blisters and pustules, hyperkeratotic, rough and sweaty skin, with or without itching, and a scaly surface; 2) papulosquamous: the toes have visible small flakes of flaking, in the form of arcs or rings attached to the edges of the lesions; 3) blistering: located on the plantar and foot edges, in clusters or disseminated small blisters 4, interdigital erosion type: fungal long-term parasitism between the toes when easy to cause epidermal cuticle thickening and whitening due to moist impregnation; 5, ringworm type: mostly from papular scaling type, blister type development to the back of the foot and come in an arc or ring edge, often adjoined with the toe or foot edge lesions. 6, what are the dangers of tinea pedis and what are the complications Patients with tinea pedis often have itchy feet, and if they suffer from excessive scratching it can cause local infection, dermatitis or lymphangitis. Tinea pedis of the blister type or interdigital erosion type may also appear as a ringworm rash, which manifests as an eczema-like rash with itching on both lower extremities, the trunk, and other distant parts of the body. Ringworm rash is an allergic reaction of the organism to fungal metabolites. Therefore, patients with tinea pedis should actively seek medical attention to avoid complications. 7. Do itchy and peeling feet mean ringworm? Itchy and peeling feet can also be caused by contact dermatitis, eczema of the feet, herpes sweat, and palmoplantar keratosis. Therefore, if topical antifungal treatment is not effective, patients with tinea pedis need to visit a regular hospital for a clear diagnosis. 8.How is tinea pedis treated? There are many drugs available on the market to treat tinea pedis, and they are mixed. Topical antifungal medications such as Fuqi, Dikangwang, Jindakin, Dink, and compound ketoconazole (Long March Hospital Dermatology Department) are mostly recommended clinically. Topical use of these medications twice a day for 4 weeks can significantly reduce the recurrence rate of tinea pedis. Patients with tinea pedis combined with bacterial infection need to take antibiotics, and patients with ringworm rash need to take oral antihistamines (loratadine, cetirizine, etc.). 9. Why is tinea pedis so stubborn and difficult to cure? Patients believe that tinea pedis is stubborn and difficult to treat mainly because of irregular treatment and insufficient treatment courses. The drugs such as “foot powder” and “dermatoprene” are not fungicidal drugs, and they can only improve the symptoms for a short period of time, but they will come back as soon as you stop taking them. The main reason for the recurrence of tinea pedis in patients treated in regular hospitals is that the treatment course is not enough. Topical antifungal medications such as Fuqi, Zindacrine, and Terbinafine cream can significantly eliminate lesions within 1 week, but the fungus is still present in the patient’s stratum corneum, and once the medication is stopped it is very likely to cause the lesions to recur. Therefore, the Department of Dermatology at Long March Hospital requires patients to adhere to a full course of treatment for more than 1 month, and also takes oral antifungal medication for patients with widespread lesions, which significantly reduces the recurrence rate of our patients. 10.How can tinea pedis be prevented? The key to the prevention of tinea pedis is to pay attention to personal, family and group hygiene. Active treatment of tinea pedis is very important to prevent tinea pedis and its comorbidities. Patients should have the correct concept of diagnosis and treatment, not to abuse medicine, to achieve early occurrence, early diagnosis, early prevention and early treatment in order to achieve the purpose of group prevention and treatment. Patients should correctly choose the right shoes and socks, because shoes are too small, which will lead to toe squeeze together, so that sweat is not easy to evaporate, creating good conditions for the growth of mold. At the same time, should pay attention to personal hygiene, avoid contact with the source of infection, do not share household items. When shoes and socks are wet, they should be replaced in a timely manner. Keep the foot clean, so that mold in the foot is not easy to colonize and survive. Wash and disinfect shoes and socks every day, soak them in boiling water and dry them in the sun, and replace all shoes and socks after treatment. To prevent cross-infection, keep the affected feet separate when cleaning them and avoid direct contact with the affected area with your hands, which can lead to the spread and spread of ringworm.