Anyone can get Athlete’s Foot, but some groups of people are more vulnerable than others. These include:

 

Diabetics should be careful with Athlete’s Foot, because their weakened nervous system sometimes doesn’t detect blisters and cuts on the foot, and their poor blood circulation means that these wounds take longer to heal. This leaves diabetics exposed to the Athlete’s Foot fungus, as well as to bacterial infections which can have much more serious consequences. So diabetics need to examine their feet regularly for cuts and blisters.

 

As its name implies, Athlete’s Foot is particularly common among sports people, because of the heat and sweat that builds up in trainers and boots, and because of their tendency to walk barefoot in changing rooms. So wash and dry your feet carefully after every session, and wash your trainers and socks regularly. Swimmers often get it from walking barefoot around public pools – get into the habit of wearing flip-flops.

 

People who use a changing room for wearing uniform or special dress, like police, mine workers, soldiers and construction workers, are vulnerable to Athlete’s Foot. Give your feet a breather during your lunch break, wear cotton socks and leather, suede or canvas shoes, and try not to wear the same shoes on consecutive days. Wash your feet regularly if you walk barefoot or have any contacts in a contaminated area.