Athlete’s Foot In Children: Causes, Symptoms and Prevention

Athlete’s Foot In Children: What Is It?

It is caused by a fungus, which is the cause of the athlete’s foot, also called tinea pedis. Old skin cells are consumed by this fungus. The feet are filled with many of them! In this article on kidsrush.com, we will tell you the causes, symptoms, and prevention of athlete’s foot in children. Let’s start!

Athlete’s Foot: Why Is It Called That?

Due to its prevalence among athletes, it is known as athlete’s foot. It is prevalent in areas where athletes congregate. Fusarium grows around public showers, swimming pools, and locker rooms because the surfaces are damp and warm. These surfaces are often walked barefoot, which causes fungus to develop on the feet. Another option is to use a damp towel contaminated with athlete’s foot fungus.

This infection can be contracted by any person. The risk is especially high for people with sweaty or wet feet. You can get fungus on your feet in the first place by walking barefoot in an area where others also walk barefoot. In public showers, that’s why your parents might advise you to wear flip-flops.

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Signs & Symptoms of Athlete’s Foot In Children

Children with athletes’ feet can experience a variety of symptoms, ranging from minor irritations to severe discomfort. An affected child may experience itching and burning. The following signs are also present:

  • bumpy feet
  • blistered, cracked, or peeling skin on the soles of the feet
  • scaling, redness, and a bad smell
  • There may be an unpleasant odor and a cheesy appearance between the toes
  • The instep (inside the foot) is affected by a rash
  • (Avoid scratching!) Raw skin due to scratching

As well as your toenails, the athlete’s foot can affect other parts of your foot in children. Besides the groin (commonly known as jock itch) and underarms, this infection can spread to other areas of the body if one scratches and touches those areas.

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What Will the Doctor Do?

When a doctor examines the skin on children’s feet, they can usually determine that the child has an athlete’s foot. If your symptoms are similar to those caused by fungus or bacteria, your doctor may take a skin sample. Your feet have a lot of extra skin, so this won’t hurt!

Most treatments are straightforward. The doctor might prescribe a cream or powder that contains medicine that can kill the fungus in mild cases. After a few days, you should feel better on your feet. Athletes’ feet can sometimes require more than one month of treatment to completely disappear.

Furthermore, you should keep your feet dry and keep your shoes off as much as possible since funguses have a hard time growing in dry, open spaces. Your doctor may prescribe a stronger medicine if the steps above do not help clear up the infection. Unlike other topical applications, this one is something you swallow rather than just use on your feet.

When an athlete’s foot isn’t treated, your feet will feel extremely itchy, and you’ll have trouble getting rid of it. If left untreated, it will spread, making eliminating it much more difficult.

How children can Prevent Athlete’s Foot?

Athletes’ feet will affect most people at least once in their lifetime. It will occur more frequently for some people. You can avoid it by following these steps:

  • Keep your feet clean by washing them every day.
  • Make sure the area between your toes is thoroughly dry.
  • At night, you may go barefoot around your house.
  • Wear loose, breathable shoes to keep your feet feeling fresh.
  • Avoid fungus in public showers, gyms, and pool areas by wearing sandals.
  • The socks you wear should be able to absorb moisture. Among these materials is cotton.
  • It is important to change socks every day (or more frequently) if they get wet.
  • Put the antifungal powder in your sneakers. Ask your parent to buy it for you.
  • Set out your shoes in the sun to kill germs after spraying them with a disinfectant.
  • Never share a towel or a pair of shoes.
  • Especially in the shower and tub, keep the surfaces of your home bathroom clean.

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