Athlete’s foot is also known as Tinea Pedis, it is a contagious fungal infection that affects the skin on the feet. It can quickly spread to other parts especially the toenails and the hands. This is commonly called Athlete’s foot because predominantly the infection is seen in athletes.

It is not a serious disease or condition but at times it becomes very stubborn and is not easily cured. If the patient has diabetes or a weakened immune system, then Athlete’s foot can be a very serious problem and requires a doctor’s attention immediately.

What causes Athlete’s foot?

Dermatophytic fungus readily grows on the feet and causes Athlete’s foot. The infection is easily caught when there is a contact with an infected person or by touching surfaces contaminated with the fungus. The fungus grows in warm and moist conditions. It is contacted that is more commonly from bathrooms, locker rooms and around swimming pools.

Who is at risk?

Athlete’s foot is so common that anyone can get it irrespective of age, sex or region. But there are certain habits and behaviours that increase the chance of contracting the disease.

Factors that increase the risk:

Being barefoot and visiting places barefoot, especially public toilets, showers, and swimming pools or sports locker rooms.

Sharing an infected person’s towels, shoes etc.

When you wear very tight fitting and closed toe shoes

When the feet is not dried and kept moist for long periods.

What are the symptoms of Athlete’s foot?

There are many possible symptoms for athlete’s foot and this may include:

• Constant itching, stinging or burning sensation between toes
• Itching and burning sensation on the soles of the feet
• Itching blisters on the feet
• When the skin on the feet peels off or cracks open, this happens mostly between toes and on the soles.
• Dry skin on the soles of the feet and on the toes
• Toenails which are dis-coloured, thickened and crumbly
• Toe nails that are pulled away from the nail bed.

What are the treatment options for athlete’s foot?

Athlete’s foot condition is better treated with  topical with or without oral by a trained dermatologist after taking required tests. Home care can be done by soaking cleaned and dried feet in salt water or vinegar, which helps in drying blisters and care should be taken to keep the feet and web spaces clean and dry.

Everyone should get a flu vaccination every year, is what flu experts are recommending. Each year the vaccine is decided based on the strains of influenza virus that are expected to be widespread that season.  Flu shots are available at all leading hospitals, clinics and doctor’s offices.

 Tetanus Vaccine

 Bacteria that causes tetanus enters the body through a wound or cut. Tetanus leads to severe muscle spasms, stiffness and lockjaw

with inability to open your mouth or swallow. Tdap (tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis) is a one-time vaccine and Td (tetanus-diphtheria) every 10 years is all that you need to prevent it. Pregnant mother should receive 2 dose if not previously immunized.

 Prevent Chicken-Pox

 You can avoid chickenpox (varicella) with some precautions. But still you can get it by being in a room with someone who has it.

Usually adults with chickenpox have a higher risk of complications, hospitalisation and death. Varicella infection is more severe in a pregnant woman and it can be a medical emergency. Chickenpox infection also puts a person at risk of shingles and the chickenpox vaccine offers some protection against it too.

 HPV Vaccine

 HPV vaccines protect men and women against strains of papillomavirus before sexual exposure. The virus causes cervical cancers in women and throat cancers in men. Some available HPV vaccines also protects against genital warts in both sexes. The virus occurs due to sexual contact.

Protect from Meningitis

 Usually young adults who live in college dorms, travelers to certain areas and those who stay in military camps are prone to be affected with meningitis since it spreads fast through such over crowd communities. They should get vaccinated against meningococcal disease which is a leading cause of bacterial meningitis. Each year a lot of people die around the world due to meningitis. Those who don’t die suffer from brain damage or hearing loss.

 Protect from Hepatitis

 Hepatitis virus can affect you without even knowing about it. The risk factors of hepatitis A include consuming contaminated food and water.  An infected person may spread it by not washing hands after going to the toilet. Hepatitis B spread by contact of blood or body fluid from the infected person. Sharing needles during drug use is also another reason and same sex practice. Hepatitis B can lead to serious damage and even death. Consult your doctor for a Hepatitis shot. Hepatitis A : 2 dose 6-12

Months apart; Hepatatis B – 3 dose

Similarly protect yourself with vaccines against measles, mumps and rubella or pneumococcus which causes.

Streptococcus Pneumonia : Recommended for younger people with chronic medical problems such as heart disease, diabetes, renal failure, sickle cell anaemia, usually given once> 65 years of age.

There is a lifetime risk of foot ulcers in patients with diabetes type 1 and 2. Diabetic foot ulcers are the cause for debilitating morbidity and mortality. It accounts for a large percentage of non-traumatic amputations performed every year in hospitals around India. Infected foot ulcers due to diabetes also account for many hospital admissions. All this point to the importance of proper care and management of diabetic foot ulcers in a timely manner.

Risk factors for diabetic foot

There are several risk factors and indicators for diabetic foot. Uncontrolled sugar levels, overweight body and lack of proper treatment. The loss of protective sensation due to neuropathy, prior ulcers or amputations, foot deformity and excess pressure, external trauma, infections, chronic ischemia and peripheral artery diseases are some of the indications of diabetic risk. The risk of non-healing of wounds due to mechanical factors are also of great concern and a cause for diabetic foot ulcers.

What are the symptoms of foot ulcers?

The first signs of a foot ulcer is drainage from the foot which  might stain the socks or the footwear. There may occur some swelling, irritation, redness and a nauseating odour from one or both feet and all these may indicate a foot ulcer. The most visible sign though may be the black tissue which surrounds the ulcer. The tissue turn black because there is no healthy blood flow to the area and results in partial or complete gangrene, which is tissue death due to infection. There may be odorous discharge, pain and numbness in the feet.

Sometimes there may be no sign of foot ulcers until the ulcer has been really infected. You should see a doctor if you see a discolouration in your feet or feel any pain around an area that is callused or irritates.

What are the type of ulcers?

The doctor will identify the ulcers and their seriousness based on a predermined scale of 0 – 3 as follows:

0 – No ulcer but foot will be at risk of getting one in the near future

1 – Ulcer is present but not infected yet

2 – The ulceration has begun and it is deep, exposing the joints and the tendons

3 – Serious ulcer with extensive infection and abscesses

Management and treatment of foot ulcers

Treatment of diabetic foot ulcers requires good management and control. It all begins with control of diabetes or sugar levels and management of other contributing factors like hypertension, hyperlipedemia and heart disease if any. Weight management also has a great impact on controlling the progress of the ulcer. Yet another aspect is the control of renal problems like renal insufficiency, arterial insufficiency, treatment of would infections and offloading of the ulcer followed by appropriate and continuous wound care.

Scientists have studied two people in the same profession but doing different tasks, like a driver and a conductor in a bus. Their lifestyle, diet was alike but those who sat for long hours were twice as likely to get heart disease as those who stood during their work.

Shorter life

You are more likely to have an earlier death from any health problem if you sit for long stretches of time. It does not help if you exercise every day or not. It does not mean that you should avoid going to gym. If you do that your life will be even shorter.

Dementia

People who sit too much can develop brain that looks just like that of someone with dementia. Sitting also raises the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, BP and high cholesterol. Keep moving throughout the day even if you are in a sedentary job, it will help to give your brain some sort of change and refreshment that helps in the long run.

 Exercise Undone

Too much of sitting cannot be countered with good exercise. Even if you work out 7 hours a week, you can’t reverse the effects of sitting 7 hours at a time. Don’t waste all the hard work you put in at the gym, by hitting the couch often but keep moving and be active through the day.

Risk of diabetes

Sitting down burns calories slowly and the quantity if of course fewer. Sitting changes the way the body reacts to insulin, the hormone which helps burn sugar and carbs to get energy. This gets to spike of sugar in the blood and giving rise to lifelong diabetes.

GET DVT

Another effect of sitting down for long hours is the occurrence of DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis). It is a clot that forms in the leg, often because you sit for too long. It can become serious if the clot breaks free and lodges in the lungs. Some people will have swelling and pain in the leg  whereas may will have no symptoms.

Weight Gain

When you sit for long hours watching TV or surf the web then you is more likely to be overweight or obese. Exercise every day is good but it won’t make a huge dent in the extra weight gained. It is always better to limit your sitting time.

Stress & Anxiety

If you are involved in too much screen based activity it can disrupt your sleep and make you feel anxious. Solitude can also make you withdrawn and cause social anxiety. Most of this time is spent either sitting or lying down and this can affect your health.

Back Pain

When you are constantly seated it puts huge stress on your back muscles, neck and spine. It’s even worse if you slouch, so try to sit in an ergonomic chair with right height and support for the back. Remember however comfortable you get, your back will still not take too much of sitting sessions. Get up once in a while and move around to keep your back out of extra stress and pain.

Too much of sitting is seen to cause varicose veins and even your risk of various cancers goes up. So it is always best to get up and get moving as and when time permits.

Everybody knows that high blood pressure causes severe health problems form damage to arteries to strokes and chronic heart problems.

Artery Damage

All arteries should be strong, springy and elastic to move blood easily from lungs and heart to various organs and tissues. High blood pressure pushes hard on the artery walls and damages it. This forms plaque on the walls of arteries and they turn narrow.

Aneurysm

When high blood pressure pushes against the artery wall it weakens. It can break and bleed into the body which is a very serious condition. It can occur anywhere in an artery but most commonly seen in the aorta. A damaged artery can cause aneurysm even it if your BP is under control.

What’s CAD?

CAD can happen when plaque builds up in the arteries that supply to the heart. The blood flow then gets slower, giving rise to chest pain and strange heart rhythm. A total block can lead to a heart attack.

Heart Attack

As the plaque in the artery builds up or when clumps of it come loose, they completely block the artery to the heart and leads to acute heart attack. The blockage starves the heart of oxygen and nutrients. This can cause severe damage to the heart.

Peripheral Artery Disease

PAD unlike CAD, affects the blood vessels that are further away from the heart like those in the arms, legs, head and the stomach. A person may get pain or cramps in the legs, often when they walk or climb stairs. The person may feel chronic tiredness.

The pain will go away when you rest and reappear once you move, if left untreated it can cause serious problems like stroke, ulcers and loss of circulation in the legs. Finally it can even lead to amputation of a limb.

PAD can also cause heart failure, enlargement of heart, stroke, dementia, kidney damage, eye problems, sexual problems and sleep apnea.