In spring and summer, when the climate is humid, some people’s hands and feet will secrete a lot of sweat because of the developed sweat glands, especially feet, and if they wear non-breathable shoes for a long time, their feet will peel, itch, and grow blisters, and many people think this is tinea pedis (foot fungus) and often use topical ointments such as Dakin and ketoconazole on their own, but the effect is actually not obvious. This is because in addition to tinea pedis caused by fungal infections, a significant portion of foot diseases are actually eczema, and the two are most easily confused and require attention. The symptoms of tinea pedis and foot eczema are very similar in that both can present with erythema, flaking, blistering, and cracking, and both may have itchy symptoms, but the two diseases are completely different. Tinea pedis is mostly a fungal skin disease that mostly starts unilaterally and is contagious; eczema is an allergic disease that usually starts in symmetrical areas of both feet and is not contagious. The common symptoms of tinea pedis are erythema and desquamation, which are characterized by clearer borders and more severe lesions at the edges because of the fungal mycelium’s tendency to disperse in all directions, while eczema tends to have unclear borders and severe lesions in the middle. Tinea pedis usually occurs initially in the toe crevices and is less common in the arches and backs of the feet, which is related to the fact that the toe crevices are more moist and impermeable for fungal growth, while eczema usually starts in the arches or backs of the feet. Some cases of tinea pedis may lead to eczema or even secondary bacterial infections due to delays or improper treatment. Patients with tinea pedis often feel itchy at the beginning of the disease, while older patients tend to have keratosis, thickening and cracking, instead of itching. If you go to the pharmacy yourself, podiatrists can determine for themselves whether they have tinea pedis or eczema in general based on what has been said above. Patients with tinea pedis should buy antifungal drugs, while eczema patients can buy hormonal drugs; however, if you get it wrong, not only will it be ineffective, but it may also aggravate the original condition. Therefore, it is best to visit a dermatologist at a regular hospital and have a fungal examination done; fungal microscopy is the most economical and practical way to distinguish between eczema and tinea pedis.