Talk:Athlete's foot

Opening comment

Who dicovered Athlete's Foot?

Dr. Zachariah Athlete, a physician of Philadelphia, in 1832.

Ummmm... cute. The "athlete" in the term "athlete's foot" was coined by WF Young (manufacturers of Absorbine liniments) in the 1930s for an advertising campaign. There's a mention of it on their history page at www.absorbine.com Student Driver 01:40, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

I put together a "home remedy" for generalized fungal skin infection. Buy a few tubes of generic clotrimazole, then get a bottle of zinc capsules. Both are very cheap. Squeeze the clotrimazole from tube to empty container like an old prescription bottle. Open the zinc capsules and pour powder into the clotrim cream. Use approx. 6 caps per clotrim tube. Mix the paste together and voila! an excellent and cheap rub on cream which quickly kills trichophyton, tinea. The zinc really adds a boost and seems to extend clear time. You're welcome — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.220.199.3 (talk) 04:01, 20 February 2016 (UTC)

Urine therapy

This part is nonsense:

...The existence of prescription creams such as Vanamide® which are indicated for dry or rough skin and consist of up to 40% urea supports this claim...

This information only suggests that urea has the effect of sofening the skin, it isn't proof that this is it's only effect. Palefire 02:41, Jun 16, 2005 (UTC)

It's still nonsense, since it refers now to "bacteria" after the entire article has established that athlete's foot is fungal in nature. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 201.53.144.154 (talk) 06:17, 19 October 2007 (UTC)

Anecdotal evidence

Anecdotal insert - I have found that athlete's foot can be completely cured by making sure that the area between the toes is totally dry before putting on socks and shoes. This would suggest that sufferers may try this for a short period before resorting to the more esoteric methods mentioned above. posted by 64.52.69.134 21:30 6 Sept 2005 UTC

This is not just anecdotal, this is well documented. These fungi thrive on moist environments, and this is exactly what people should do to try and get rid of it. If the above is not already in the article, it should be.

Between 3rd and 4th and between 4th and 5th Toes

It is a noticeable fact and mentioned in some texts that it often happens only between the 3rd and 4th and between the 4th and 5th toes. --User:Roland Longbow 00:46, 21 October 2006 (UTC)

But you need to be able to tell us (cite) which texts say this - might not it occur only in 1st or 2nd web space - one needs to cite source for it being more common in the lateral foot. David Ruben ^Talk 02:12, 21 October 2006 (UTC)

Not every bit of information is accompanied with references. I read it in some medical dictionary and saw it is the case for many people. It may occur elsewhere, but it is much more often to occur only between the 3rd and 4th and between 4th and 5th toes. This may sound odd, though, but you may want to observe for yourself. And I think this is a noteworthy feature of tinea pedis.--Roland 02:51, 21 October 2006 (UTC)

Policy is quite clear, it is the responsibility of an editor wishing to add information to be able to cite from a reliable source to verify the information. If citation can't be found then information, even if true, should not & can not be added :-) David Ruben ^Talk 03:37, 21 October 2006 (UTC)

I am indeed confused. Then where is the reference for, for instance, the first sentence of the entry? And I don't see a single reference in the sections Causes, Growth Environment, Symptoms, Symptoms, Treatment. --Roland 05:31, 21 October 2006 (UTC)

A lot of this article was written before policy was so clear and enforced. What you're observing just means the article needs to be cleaned up. --Neurophyre^(talk) 08:54, 21 October 2006 (UTC)

Also note that Wikipedia is NOT the place to simply hold information that cannot be found elsewhere or is not cited... chances are... its a myth or misguided information. Every sentence MUST BE referenced, that is, hold some credible source as direct proof that is a true statement. Otherwise, it doesn't belong. Colonel Marksman 13:58, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

I have athlete's foot between my 2nd and 3rd toe right now, so that theory is faulty. Bummer! :) Mazakar 19:22, 24 September 2007 (UTC)

found the journal references, so you wikinazis can take a chill. Repliedthemockturtle 22:02, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

Image is confusing.

It may be me, but I can make neither heads nor tails of the leading image. What on earth is happening there? It seems to defy several laws of anatomy. If there are any other images, I think they should replace the current one. GenericGabriel 04:39, 12 May 2007 (UTC)

Upper left edge of image are the tips of fingers pulling back on a toe to show the web space. View is looking down the length of the toe (heading to centre of image) to the web space. To the upper-right is the adjacent toe. David Ruben ^Talk 12:20, 12 May 2007 (UTC)

Reading this explanation, I still can't make heads or tails (fingers or toes?) of this image. The way it's cropped leaves no context, and the image is worthless for identification and illustrative purposes. The one in the symptoms section is clear, and should be the leading image. -- AvatarMN 18:51, 22 October 2007 (UTC)

That picture should really be removed, as it's more confusing than helping. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.9.141.183 (talk) 11:42, 20 July 2009 (UTC)

I removed image. I hate to do that. With 30 seconds of editing, the image would be fine. But I lack rights to do that. I see the fingers, I see what seems to be two or three other toes. The toe being held seems to be stuck on the bottom of the sole of the foot. Totally confusing. To the editors: please do NOT explain why it is not confusing. Either fix it or its better gone. I think trimming the photo to remove confusing elements might work. Also the puncture wound has NO place in the photograph.216.96.76.168 (talk) 10:23, 26 June 2013 (UTC)

Therapy instructions seem a bit confusing

Personal prevention measures

   * Try to limit the amount that your feet sweat by wearing open-toed shoes when possible and by removing your shoes when at home.

"It is recommended to wear open sandals, or even better, walking barefoot as much as possible."

This seems a bit confusing to me, as walkin with bare feet *at home* will spread the spores. Both walking barefeeted and using a hairdryer are practices explicitly disadvised in the German language version of the article at http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hautpilz

Wonderful helpful article, needs citations, not changes

The writing and practical suggestions are great, helpful, practical, exactly what someone suspecting athlete's foot or wanting treatment would want to see. Footnotes (no pun?) would help, but please don't destroy the value that is here.—Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.101.66.138 (talk • contribs) 23:24, 29 December 2007

If policy prevents Wikipedia editing by public to function, then policy needs re-examination

A study shows us anonymous writers and editors add great stuff all the time. If we make a mistake, correct our mistake, please (or let other anon editors do so). But please don't take valuable information available nowhere else down simply for lacking a citation. To do so defeats the ability of, for instance, clinicians or other personal experts to contribute based on clinical experience. Letting the truth emerge from a marketplace of ideas is the genius brilliantly capitalized on by Wikipedia. Wikipedia fulfills its mission via a policy to add footnotes where available, not one requiring unexamined deletion of valuable content.—Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.101.66.138 (talk • contribs) 23:30, 29 December 2007

Wikipedia is not meant to be a "marketplace of ideas", but rather perhaps a marketplace where anyone can add suitable content to an encyclopedia, this is not a blog for any and every idea, especially if only imperfectly "based on clinical experience". As an encyclopaedia, whilst wikipedia reflects and helps distribute current knowledge, it does not try to advance the knowledge itself nor make assessments on current thinking. As policy therefore all material added must be that which can be WP:Cited from WP:Reliable sources in order to WP:Verify and the responsibility to cite sources lies with the editor (registered or unregistered) who adds it. As WP:Cite observes "All material that is challenged or likely to be challenged needs a source." So "information available nowhere else" presumably can not be sourced from anywhere (let alone a reliable one) to verify ?

Now I would agree that where information is commonly held to be believed, then other editors should help with improving topics by adding additional (or missing) refs where possible and not therefore revert on-sight, but if information is not generally felt to be credible and accepted by either majority or significant minority opinions, then it may be removed under WP:NPOV. So while it is policy WP:Please do not bite the newcomers, wikipedia as well as giving freedom to add material also allows editing or deletion of items, as the "Please note" shown at the bottom of every editing page states, "If you don't want your writing to be edited mercilessly ..., do not submit it."

So having pointed out some policies, what "valuable information" do you feel is being taken down ?David Ruben ^Talk —Preceding comment was added at 01:13, 30 December 2007 (UTC)

Clearly we also need to take out the bit about using a hair-drier to dry your feet thoroughly, because this basic fact of physics has no citation! --91.135.5.74 (talk) 07:53, 11 August 2008 (UTC)

question

my baby has this condition-what can be done to prevent this from happening again once it's healed by clotromizole? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 96.56.103.115 (talk) 19:20, 16 September 2008 (UTC)

antifungal soap

I removed this subsection which was obviously an ad for "gymsoap". There is no clinical evidence that some soaps are better than others in treating athlete's foot. This section had referenced the mayo clinic's page on tea tree oil, but that page did not back up the claims, merely staing "Human studies have focused on the use of topical tea tree oil for fungal infections (including fungal infections of the nails and athlete's foot), acne, and vaginal infections. However, there is a lack of definitive available evidence for the use of tea tree oil in any of these conditions, and further study is warranted." -- Repliedthemockturtle (talk) 02:19, 27 September 2008 (UTC)

Vicks Vaporub

I cannot find even anecdotal evidence for using Vaporub on Athlete's Foot. Its cousin, a nail fungus, yes. But nothing on AF. This seems to be someone's personal agenda. There is not even a BAD source cited. It reads as OR only. I don't see why it wasn't killed when it was added. Rather than kill it, I am going to clean it down to "There has been a claim that..." and flag it for a source. sinneed (talk) 05:16, 21 November 2008 (UTC)

I really rather you wouldn't immediately ascribe it to "someone's personal agenda." I recently returned from my podiatrist having received precisely this advice - not only for my nail fungus, but also for some local Athlete's Foot. Now, I'm not going to change the article based on such anecdotal information, but I think it tends to disprove your assertion that someone's mere personal agenda motivated the original edit. Apparently the effect is the same for both: it softens the skin (and protein-buildups on the nail), making the area less hospitable for fungus. 76.104.27.36 (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 03:49, 16 December 2009 (UTC).

As an addendum, Vicks contains Thymol. Even the most cursory read of the Wikipedia entry on Thymol would likely illustrate why the original poster wasn't operating under some 'personal agenda' in writing it. Again, that doesn't justify changing the Athlete's Foot entry to reflect the Vicks claim. But I think it justifies greater hesitation in imputing some ulterior motive to the original posters inclusion... 76.104.27.36 (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 03:57, 16 December 2009 (UTC).

Medical advice

The "prevention" and "treatment" sections of this article get very close to providing medical advice, and per WP:NOTGUIDE this section should be modified somewhat to sound more like an encyclopedia and less like a health brochure.

That information can be provided by the external links to sites that do provide that kind of information. I've trimmed the links heavily since many of them had WP:ELNO problems (i.e. some were just ads). I've trimmed it down to two which I feel are good resources, but ones that are helpful can be added back and these can be taken away if there are better choices, but as a rule of thumb there probably shouldn't be more than four or five external links total. SDY (talk) 02:20, 24 March 2009 (UTC)

Why use ten dollar foot cream when you can just blow your feet with a hair dryer. Athletes foot dies in dry skin. That combined with extreme heat which kills bacteria is perfect advice. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Asfd777 (talk • contribs) 13:52, 24 September 2012 (UTC)

Not really. It's theory is sound, but you'll be killing just as many bacteria as killing your feet's skin cells! The bacteria lives between the skin, thus it'll be protected by the outer layer, and get cooling from the deeper layers of the skin... Just suggesting, however it's a nice idea to see if the hairdryer treatment works! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.166.176.82 (talk) 06:33, 4 March 2013 (UTC)

Rename to Tinea Pedis

The following is a closed discussion of the proposal. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.

The result of the proposal was No consensus to move. Parsecboy (talk) 16:12, 19 April 2009 (UTC)

Per WP:MEDMOS#Naming conventions, for medical topics the "article title should be the scientific or recognised medical name rather than the lay term (common, unscientific, and/or slang name) or a historical eponym that has been superseded. These alternative names may be specified in the lead. Create redirects to the article to help those searching with alternative names". Further, an international standard such as The World Health Organisation International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD 10) should be sought.

ICD10 B35.3 gives as main term "Tinea pedis" with alternatives of "Athlete's foot", "Dermatophytosis of foot" or "Foot ringworm"

Hence just as we have Myocardial infarction rather than common lay term of heart attack (which is a redirect), so this article should be renamed. David Ruben ^Talk 00:10, 14 April 2009 (UTC)

• Support - per medical naming conventions. ƒingers^on_Roids 00:35, 14 April 2009 (UTC)
• Support. As the specific naming convention says, with diseases we go with the internationally recognised name. This is one of the few exceptions to the more general preference for common names. Andrewa (talk) 02:44, 14 April 2009 (UTC)
• Support - as per nom. kilbad (talk) 03:32, 14 April 2009 (UTC)
• Oppose - per WP:NAME the name should be based on what is recognized/used by general audience. Athlete's foot has several times the number of google hits and (except for the possessive) several times the search volume. "tinea pedis" - 181,000 hits; "athlete's foot" 717,000 hits; "athletes foot", "tinea pedis" Zodon (talk) 08:10, 14 April 2009 (UTC)
  • Googling is not necessarily a good means of deciding here (else all drug articles would be named for their main US brand). PubMed listing of some 5,200 biomedical journals gives: 122 hits for "Athlete's foot" with a large overlap 149 for "Athlete's feet", but 1395 for "Tinea pedis". (Other ICD10 options of "foot ringworm" 2hits, "Dermatophytosis of foot" with 1446 & "foot dermatophytosis" with 1835 are not helpful here as they also include hits for nail infection of onychomycosis). David Ruben ^Talk 19:20, 14 April 2009 (UTC)
• Oppose - WP:COMMONNAME overrules WP:MEDMOS naming conventions. Almost everyone has heard of "Athlete's foot", hardly anyone outside the medical profession will refer to it as "Tinea pedis". —Cyclonenim | Chat  10:39, 14 April 2009 (UTC)

• Honestly, I don't have any strong feelings on this issue; so, whatever the community ultimately decides is fine with me. However, even if people have not heard of "Tinea pedis", a simple redirect from "Athlete's foot" will direct them to it the correct article. Due to redirects, accessibility to this information will not be reduced if the article is titled "Tinea pedis." Additionally, the term "Athlete's foot" does not always mean "Tinea pedis," but "Tinea pedis" may always be referred to as "Athlete's foot;" therefore, it seems the title that appropriately encompasses the scope and contents of the article is "Tinea pedis." ---kilbad (talk) 14:41, 14 April 2009 (UTC)

Redirect doesn't handle everything - for instance, in navigation templates and see also links it is usual to use the article name, rather than overriding it with a pipe. So using a name that is widely recognized may make it easier for readers to find the article.

What is the difference between Tinea pedis and Athlete's foot? (i.e. when is Athlete's foot not tinea pedis?) Are they different enough to warrant separate articles? If this article is narrowed to just Tinea pedis, where should material covering Athlete's foot go? Zodon (talk) 15:43, 14 April 2009 (UTC)

• Conditional oppose If, as the article now reads, these are equivalent terms, we should use the common name. We need be no stuffier than the Lancet: a remedy for ‘athlete's foot’ (tinea interdigitalis), Septentrionalis PMAnderson 19:03, 14 April 2009 (UTC)
  • Interesting additonal term I've not seen before of "tinea interdigitalis" - PubMed search of which gets 131 hits from range international publications spanning its abstracting time frame of the 1950's to just last last year. Whilst that term makes sense (the latin translates as "tinea"-fungal infection "inter"-between "digital"-toes or fingers), I don't think most doctors would restrict themselves in usage of athlete's foot to just this area, rather than also acceptable over a wider area of the sole (hence tinea pedis is more widely used in the literature even though mild cases do indeed tend to be limited to just the web spaces.) David Ruben ^Talk 19:43, 14 April 2009 (UTC)
    • Probably dated; it's one of the OED's citations, from (18 July) 1942. Septentrionalis PMAnderson 20:03, 14 April 2009 (UTC)
      • There are actually multiple patterns or types of tinea pedis, with interdigital and moccasin patterns being two of them. kilbad (talk) 07:45, 15 April 2009 (UTC)
• Oppose I think it's far more reasonable to keep the article with the current name (which is the most common for the subject in English) with Tinea pedis redirecting here, than the other way around. Húsönd 11:01, 18 April 2009 (UTC)
• Conditional oppose, per PMA's comment, but I don't really have a strong opinion either way. As long as both names are prominent in the lead, I don't see how it makes a big difference. SDY (talk) 19:06, 18 April 2009 (UTC)

The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the proposal. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.

Risk Factors

Text added under Risk Factors earlier today:

While athlete's foot can be transmitted through person to person contact, there are several reasons that put you at higher risk for contracting athlete's foot. Such risk factors include:

1) you are a male 2) you find yourself constantly wearing damp socks (due to water or sweat)or tight shoes 3) you share rugs, bed linens, clothes or shoes with someone who has been infected with athlete's foot 4)you have a weak immune system

5) you constantly are in places that transmit athlete's foot easily such as locker rooms, saunas, public pools, showers and restrooms

I believe these points are already covered under transmission and prevention sections, and they are therefore superfluous. Any problem removing? --Transity ^{(talk • contribs)} 21:02, 23 April 2009 (UTC)

The reasons behind all of those points are much better explained in the article. Men have a higher instance precisely because they are more prone to taking up sports that encourage the use of sweaty unsanitary footwear and then taking them off in a communal environment. All that would happen if you added your points would be the removal of the reasons these things occur. Hadashi (talk) 19:54, 24 October 2012 (UTC)

References

Abuse

The alternative name for Athlete's Foot has been changed to "tiny penis." I have changed it back to the original "Tinea Pedis." dddd — Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.29.12.55 (talk) 21:16, 20 June 2011 (UTC)

Sigh. We should try and get that page perma-blocked. Hadashi (talk) 19:55, 24 October 2012 (UTC)

Walk barefoot advice?

This article literally recommends walking barefoot as a way to prevent and cure athlete's foot. While I don't doubt that this is effective, the vast majority of people on this earth have to wear shoes. Telling them to walk barefoot just sounds silly when they would normally just get some cream for a minor medical condition like this. Like if someone told me to eat tree bark to cure my headache, when I can just take Tylenol. Sorry if this seems judgmental or something, but the article literally reads like some kind of advertisement for "barefoot cultures" whatever that means. Just my 2 cents 76.97.69.103 (talk) 03:39, 30 November 2012 (UTC)

You can always walk barefoot at home; or take a week vacation, and go to the beach, walking barefoot in the sand! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.166.176.82 (talk) 06:25, 4 March 2013 (UTC)

Deodorant treatment

If dryness is really all it takes for the fungus to disappear, then any 'under-arm' deodorant, based on talcum-powder, or Aluminum Zirconium tetrachlorohydrex, will do! I currently am on a test treatment, after the foot fungus spread from toe to feet, and clearly the 'duct tape' treatment didn't help (certain fungi need air to grow, in this case, the duct tape irritated the skin, and should have caused anti-body growth fighting the fungi, but it didn't work, and just the opposite happened, namely faster growth of the fungi). So I am currently on a Dove Cleartone anti-respirant treatment(the only deodorant I have based on powder like Talcum). Report back with the results! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.166.176.82 (talk) 06:24, 4 March 2013 (UTC)

WebMD conflicts with this article

WebMD has an article that mentions that contrary to popular wisdom "Natural fibers like cotton or wool are better choices than synthetic fibers, because they soak moisture away from your feet." I'm not sure really how to go about integrating that into the article, or even if it should be, but I thought I'd bring it up. Zell Faze (talk) 14:45, 11 February 2014 (UTC)

The company called "The Athlete's Foot Australia"

There's a company also called Athlete's Foot. Do you think they wouldn't like that ugly picture of a foot, which is bad for them from a PR perspective? I mean, people will associate their brand with a scaling yellow foot :/ 129.180.159.8 (talk) 11:30, 8 June 2014 (UTC)

If they're gonna call their company "The Athlete's Foot", what do they expect? Actually they probably don't mind. No doubt the name is intended to be a pun. Axl ¤ [Talk] 13:18, 8 June 2014 (UTC)

acidity therapy?

is it true that these fungi die in low pH environments? The alleged (a character in Good Morning, Vietnam says so) treatment of urinating on the feet to prevent is based on that concept, as is a home remedy of soaking the feet in diluted vinegar. 204.8.27.140 (talk) 16:54, 23 July 2014 (UTC)

How many presentations?

The article says 3, this reference says 4. The Transhumanist 09:56, 14 January 2015 (UTC)

Questions

Here are some questions, the answers to which may help improve understanding of the subject so we can further develop the article. Please answer any of them if you can. Also, please keep them in mind while you are reading about athlete's foot out there (off-Wikipedia, offline, etc.), and post the answers below (or add them to the article along with reliable sources, per WP:MEDRS):

Are there any effective home remedies for athlete's foot? If so, what are they?

Substances to check for possible efficacy?

• Chlorine bleach
• Hydrogine peroxide
• Selenium
• Vinegar
• Zinc

What are the risk factors for athlete's foot?

• Living in a warm humid climate
• Diabetes
• HIV/AIDS

What classifications of things does athlete's foot fungi belong?

• Fungi
• Pathogens

What adjectives besides anthropophilic can be used to describe them?

• Dermatophytic
• Keratinophilic
• Mesophilic
• Parasitic

Can athlete's foot fungi reside on the skin without causing infection?

• Yes
• When it does, the host is a carrier.

Can athlete's foot fungi reside in skin without causing symptoms?

• Yes, in dead skin.

Can athlete's foot cause itching without other symptoms?

Is itching usually the first symptom?

How prevalent is the role of scratching in the progression of the disease?

What is the role of scratching in the progression of the disease?

Does scratching make it worse?

• It can. Open wounds where there weren't any previously is worse.

Why does scratching feel so good?

Can scratching athlete's foot cause euphoria?

Is "better than sex" documented in a reliable source anywhere?

Do some hosts purposely retain athlete's foot for the pleasure derived from scratching it?

How do athlete's foot fungi survive in the environment?

• In nail clippings
• In dead skin particles
• Spores survive dry conditions

How long can athlete's foot fungi survive in dead skin cells that have fallen off the host?

Do athlete's foot fungi grow elsewhere than on/in human hosts, that is, in the environment?

• Yes. In dead skin particles (source of keratin).

What household disinfectants kill athlete's foot fungi on surfaces (such as in bathtubs)?

• Chorine bleach

What household disinfectants kill athlete's foot fungi in the laundry?

• Chlorine bleach

What is the standard method for cleaning locker rooms that have become infested with athlete's foot fungi?

How many layers of skin are there, and what are they called?

1. Epidermis
   1. Stratum corneum – outermost layer of the epidermis, consisting of dead cells (corneocytes). This layer is composed of 15-20 layers of flattened cells with no nuclei and cell organelles. Their cytoplasm shows birefringent filamentous scleroprotein keratin.
   2. Stratum lucidum – thin, clear layer of dead skin cells in the epidermis named for its translucent appearance under a microscope. it is composed of three to five layers of dead, flattened keratinocytes. These keratinocytes do not feature distinct boundaries and are filled with eleidin, an intermediate form of keratin.
   3. Stratum granulosum
   4. Stratum spinosum
   5. Stratum basale
2. Dermis
3. Hypodermis

How fast does skin grow? How long does it take for the body to replace all skin layers?

How do athlete's foot fungi stick to the skin?

How do athlete's foot fungi invade the skin?

Under what conditions does athlete's foot fungi invade living skin tissue (deep layers of skin)?

How does the immune system prevent athlete's foot fungi from invading living skin tissue?

When athlete's foot fungi on the skin die, what happens to the dead fungi?

When athlete's foot fungi in the skin die, what happens to the dead fungi?

When athlete's foot fungi in the skin die, what happens to the spaces the dead fungi occupied?

Is reinfection more likely than initial infection? If so, why?

What is the pH survival range of athlete's foot fungi?

What is the temperature survival range of athlete's foot fungi?

What are the components of athlete's foot fungi?

What are spores?

What is the role of spores in the spreading of the disease?

Do spores move around? If so, how?

Do spores stick to things? If so, to what things? Fingers? Floors? Bathtubs? Counters? Walls? Socks? Shoes? Clothes? Sheets? Gloves? Doorknobs?

Under what conditions can athlete's foot fungi spores survive? Liquid? Damp? Dry? pH? Temperature?

Are spores easier or harder to kill than the fungi?

What are the most effective ways to kill the spores?

What are hyphae?

What is the role of hyphae in the growth and spreading of the fungi?

When athlete's foot fungi die, what happens to the hyphae?

What is the role of enzymes produced by athlete's foot fungi?

What is the food of athlete's foot fungi?

What does athlete's foot fungi do to/with its food?

What is athlete's foot fungi's relationship with keratin?

What is keratin's role in skin, hair, and nails?

Do athlete's foot fungi grow inside the strands of hair on the feet?

How do you kill athlete's foot fungi in the internal structure of hair?

When athlete's foot fungi inside a strand of hair dies, what happens to the dead fungi?

What is the relationship between toenail fungal infection and athlete's foot?

When athlete's foot fungi inside a toenail dies, what happens to the dead fungi?

Does living athlete's foot fungi feed on dead athlete's foot fungi?

What are the systemic complications of athlete's foot?

Why does the name of the disease change based on body location?

Is athlete's foot a rash?

If you know any of the answers, or have further questions, please feel free to post them below. Thank you. The Transhumanist 03:08, 21 January 2015 (UTC)

Leads

The following search strings might turn up more on the subject:

• 15% any given time
• 70% lifetime
• Absorbine Jr.
• accompanied
• acidity
• alkalinity
• alternating shoes worn
• anti-fungal
• anti-fungal properties
  • Eucalyptol
  • Menthol
  • Thymol
  • Selenium
  • Zinc (fungistatic)
• Arthroconidia
• Arthrospore
• astringent
• asymptomatic = carrier
• asymptomatic (still contagious)
• avoid interpersonal contact
• bare feet in bed
• betadine
• betadine soak
• between the toes
• black tea
• black tea soak
• bleach soak
• broad spectrum activity
• budding cells
• carrier
• change socks
• changes names
• characteristics all molds share
• chlorine bleach
• chlorine vs. vinegar
• cinnamon
• clean and dry
• clean dry socks
• clinical presentation
• common
• comparison of disinfectants
• complications
• cotton socks
• damage
• dark, damp, warm
• dermatophyte
• dermatophytic filaments
• diagnostic tests
• different name
• digest keratin
• direct contact
• disinfects
• don't scratch
• dry between the toes
• during lifetime
• elderly get cracks in the feet
• embed
• enzymatic
• enzymes
• etiologic agents
• fomites
• foot hygiene
• foot powder
• foot soak
• fungicidal
• fungistatic
• garlic
• garlic paste
• global
• good hygiene
• Head & Shoulders
• home remedy
• hyphae
• hyphal
• immune system
• immunological
• importance of foot hygiene
• indirect contact
• infect
• infected = carrier
• infecting others
• invade
• keep feet dry
• keratin
• keratinase
• kills
• kills fungus on contact
• lemon juice
• loose shoes
• management
• minor nail injuries
• minor skin injuries
• misdiagnosed frequently
• mold
• nail care
• natural cure
• parasitic
• pathogenesis
• pathogens
• patient education
• penetrate
• perspiration
• pH
• plastic-lined shoes
• podiatric
• poor hygiene
• predisposing factors
• prevalence increasing
• prevention
• prolonged wet feet
• promotes infection
• protease
• recur
• recurrence
• risk factors
• salt
• salt soak
• same disease
• Saprobes
• scratch
• selenium
• Selsun Blue
• soak
• statistics
• spores
• sweat a lot
• tannic acid
• thongs, sandals, flip-flops
• tight-fitting shoes
• toenail
• treated inadequately often
• treatment options
• treat shoes
• Trichophyton rubrum
• urine
• Vicks VapoRub
• vinegar
• vinegar soak
• wash surface fungus off
• well-ventilated shoes
• wool socks
• worldwide
• yeast

Please feel free to add more leads below. Thank you. The Transhumanist 22:47, 26 January 2015 (UTC)

Sources of jargon and references

• Tinea Pedis– an Update

The above may help with identification of concepts and issues. Not a very high impact rating though. The Transhumanist 05:58, 21 January 2015 (UTC)

• American Podiatric Medical Association webpage on Athlete's Foot
• NIH Medline Medical Encyclopedia webpage on Athlete's Foot
• WebMD page on Athlete' Foot (includes menu)
• UpToDate's web page on Dermatophyte (tinea) infections
• World Health Organization's web page on ringworm (tinea)
• National Health Service webpage on Athlete's Foot

Some Athlete's Foot pages. The Transhumanist 23:36, 25 January 2015 (UTC)

• The diagnosis and management of tinea, The BMJ

Biological classification

The hierarchy of biological classification's eight major taxonomic ranks. Intermediate minor rankings are not shown.

This is a work area for tracking down and comparing the biological classifications of athlete's foot pathogens. The Transhumanist 20:42, 21 January 2015 (UTC)

Trichophyton rubrum

Main article: Trichophyton rubrum

• Kingdom:   Fungi
• Subkingdom:   Dikarya (?)
• Phylum:   Ascomycota (?)
• Subphylum:   Pezizomycotina
• Class:   Eurotiomycetes
• Order:   Onygenales
• Family:   Arthrodermataceae
• Genus:   Trichophyton
• Species:   T. rubrum

What about this?

• Fungi imperfecti (imperfect fungi)

Prognosis

Is usually a separate section. Please see WP:MEDMOS TylerDurden8823 (talk) 17:40, 23 January 2015 (UTC)

 Done The Transhumanist 13:28, 25 January 2015 (UTC)

Scratching athlete's foot - better than sex?

Can scratching athlete's foot be more enjoyable than sex?

If so, how does that work?

(Please provide references, if you can). The Transhumanist 10:50, 20 January 2015 (UTC)

I Googled "'athlete's foot' 'more enjoyable' sex" and found Seven Reasons to Get Out More at the top. Might be worth a ponder. InedibleHulk (talk) 11:09, 20 January 2015 (UTC)

• There's no objective way to measure this, so only experience will tell, and we can't advise you to have sex, nor to contract a variety of athlete's foot and itch it. Contact your physician/clinical psychologist/dermatologist/sex surrogate. μηδείς (talk) 20:57, 20 January 2015 (UTC)

• Enjoyment (whether from sex, chocolate, a good belly rub, "runner's high", or any number of other sources) is largely a function of neurochemistry, mostly by compounds called endorphins. An individual's response to any activity is unique, so it's entirely possible for one person to have a greater "endorphin rush" from any specific activity than from sex. The world has 7ish billion people. I'd not be shocked if you told me any one of them enjoyed any random activity more than sex. --Jayron32 02:19, 21 January 2015 (UTC)

• I have had poison ivy that was more enjoyable than my sex partner, but it's qualia, communicable on a x > Y basis but not yet extrinsically measurable. μηδείς (talk) 23:47, 21 January 2015 (UTC)

• I am reminded at this point of a gym teacher I once had, who said that some guys like to get Athlete's Foot, because "It's the closest they ever come to being an athlete." ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 02:22, 21 January 2015 (UTC)

• If you can't be an athlete, you can at least be an athletic supporter. StuRat (talk) 05:57, 21 January 2015 (UTC)

User:InedibleHulk, User:StuRat, User:Baseball Bugs, and the rest...

I've been working on the article athlete's foot. While reading up on and search-browsing the subject, I came across many posts in forums by persons claiming to have reached levels of orgasmic bliss by scratching or rubbing their athlete's foot. Some scratched or rubbed themselves into a state of ecstasy until their feet were raw or even bleeding. Some even went so far as coddling the disease instead of eradicating it, so they could relive the experience once their feet healed up from the previous scratch session. So I'm wondering if there is any scientific literature on this phenomenon that answer the following questions: What is it called? How prevalent is it in the population? What exactly is going on (physiologically)? And what is the role of athlete's foot fungus in this? The Transhumanist 07:32, 21 January 2015 (UTC)

As to what is going on physiologically, this study regards itching in general and how it effects the brain. It states in the abstract "Our findings not only confirm a role for the central networks processing reward in the pleasurable aspects of scratching, but also suggest they play a role in mediating itch relief." And this study finds that the most pleasure is gotten from scratching the ankle. Newspapers took that last study to mean that scratching the ankle is better than masturbating. I can't find any name for the practice, I would just call it a scratching fetish. In both studies something was done to make the skin itchy as oppose to having people scratch for no reason. I think your guys trying to get athlete's foot just haven't figured out more effective ways to induce itching. I do not think it should be part of the athlete's foot article, but part of the Itch article if at all. Richard-of-Earth (talk) 10:57, 21 January 2015 (UTC)

Algolagnia is a love of pain (as distinct from masochism), and urtication is the practice of applying irritants in a sexual context - scratching fetishes probably come somewhere between the two. Tevildo (talk) 18:24, 21 January 2015 (UTC)

It doesn't fit within the definition of sexual fetish, because there is no sexual arrousal, just extreme pleasure from scratching, so good it can be compared to the levels of pleasure received from sex. Any references about how the fungus causes itching, the scratching-pleasure feedback loop, and anything about how this might be a survival adaptation of the fungus, would be most helpful. What I'm lacking here are search terms, I have no idea what these phenomena are called or how they might be described. I would be very impressed if you could find any scientific literature, even if it only includes observations, about this in relation to fungi responsible for athlete's foot. The Transhumanist 18:53, 21 January 2015 (UTC)

My initial impression from the question was the "ick" factor - particularly if you don't thoroughly wash your hands afterward. You don't want to end up with "Athlete's Eyeball", for example. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 14:09, 21 January 2015 (UTC)

I'm punching in every relevant search phrase I can think of into Google. Any suggestions? The Transhumanist 18:53, 21 January 2015 (UTC)

Best Sources

Hi Transhumanist, so for the Athlete's foot page, the best sources to use are secondary sources. To be more specific, what is really preferred are peer-reviewed academic journal articles rather than sources such as Merck Manuals or the Mayo Clinic. There's nothing terrible about those sources, they're just not the best available sources and that's what we strive for. If you need help with access, let me know and I can point you in the right direction. TylerDurden8823 (talk) 01:23, 26 January 2015 (UTC)

@TylerDurden8823: Right now, my interest is in the surface web, to see what medical resources the public has access to, and to link to what WP's typical readers can verify for themselves. If I go deeper, it would be to answer the questions posted on this talk page above. Any help you can provide with finding those would impress me greatly. Especially the pH and temperature survival ranges for the various species of fungi that cause tinea, and effectiveness statistics for disinfectants in cleaning these things off of surfaces. The Transhumanist 07:25, 26 January 2015 (UTC)

There are many freely accessible secondary review sources on PubMed. I'd be happy to assist you in your search for better sources. I'll be sure to list them here. I also may find some that are not free access, but are better sources and that's certainly acceptable for inclusion as well. There's no requirement that every single reference be freely accessible (though it's certainly a bonus when it is freely available and a high-quality source). TylerDurden8823 (talk) 07:26, 26 January 2015 (UTC)

@TylerDurden8823: Cool, let's start with the pH range in which Trichophyton rubrum survives, or better yet, the levels of acidity and alkalinity in which it cannot survive. The Transhumanist 07:39, 26 January 2015 (UTC)

That's not really essential to this page. Those would be more appropriate for the pages specific to the pathogen seen here Trichophyton rubrum. This page's discussion really centers on the actual signs/symptoms of the infection, treatment, etc., but that level of detail does not belong on this page. TylerDurden8823 (talk) 08:34, 26 January 2015 (UTC)

@TylerDurden8823: It's the main cause of athlete's foot. What disinfectants kill it is right on topic. And it's good reading material for studying up on this subject. I'm most interested in how to prevent the spread of the disease, such as how best to decontaminate the home, clothes, shoes, etc. The Transhumanist 10:40, 26 January 2015 (UTC)

Yes, the treatment section is for the disinfectants in terms of how we treat the condition, but the pH range is excessive detail IMO and belongs on the pathogen's page. Discussing the use of bleach etc in a prevention or transmission section is adequate. I don't think we need to specify pH 9.0 vs pH 11.0 efficacy unless studies have been done to examine this. TylerDurden8823 (talk) 16:52, 26 January 2015 (UTC)

Exactly. Please help find those references. And for the other pathogens as well. It would be nice to include a chart so readers can see what they are up against. (The chart would be out of place in the individual pathogens' articles). The athlete's foot article is for providing the readers the information they need. This is war, man: fungus versus the power of the pen. pH deadly to the various fungi is essential information to have in the selection of cleaning agents. But deciding what to include or not is premature at this point, because it depends on context. If the same pH kills all the varieties of fungus, then we don't need a chart or to refer to each species. But we won't know until we track the material down and read it. What type of sources would have this information? It seems like this stuff would more likely be covered in microbiology, chemistry, and biochemistry sources. The Transhumanist 20:06, 26 January 2015 (UTC)

Sex

Are females are more common than males to have athlete's foot? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.167.141.19 (talk) 11:54, 2 March 2016 (UTC)

Ajoene (garlic extract) treatment

For reference, here's the content that needs more references: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Athlete%27s_foot&oldid=654016824#Topical_treatments The RedBurn (ϕ) 11:00, 22 April 2016 (UTC)

This statment "1% ajoene cream, which may be replaced by crushed Garlic, has been found to be more effective than terbinafine."

Page 206 says it is not avaliable which means that it is not a treatment.

So moved here.Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 13:22, 22 April 2016 (UTC)

Looking at the trial that source is based upon. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11050588

70 soldiers, study of one week duration only 47 finished the trial? They are soldiers and the study was 60 days long strange? Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 13:31, 22 April 2016 (UTC)

References

Corporations

I don't work in a corporation or Christian organization so I can go barefoot. This has proven to be of extreme benefit to my feet. 24.51.217.118 (talk) 21:47, 19 June 2016 (UTC)

nerve damage

after tinea pedis fungi infected my hands fingers i observed a change in sense of touch in the concerned area . some kind of nerve zells or sensors didnt regenerate , so that a quality of perception is gone . also the skins structure didnt recover into the original state . i did not had same attention to my foot infection , so i didnt recognize it there .--Konfressor (talk) 19:12, 28 November 2020 (UTC)

"Athelete`s foot" listed at Redirects for discussion

An editor has identified a potential problem with the redirect Athelete`s foot and has thus listed it for discussion. This discussion will occur at Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion/Log/2022 October 15#Athelete`s foot until a consensus is reached, and readers of this page are welcome to contribute to the discussion. 1234qwer1234qwer4 15:18, 15 October 2022 (UTC)

Wiki Education assignment: Epidemiology ENPH 450

This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 5 September 2022 and 17 December 2022. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): McginleyAlex (article contribs).

— Assignment last updated by Ericksmd3839 (talk) 19:01, 30 November 2022 (UTC)

Athlete's Foot Epidemiology

Hello all, I am going to be taking a look into building up the Epidemiology section of this article. I am hoping to use the reviews from the Cochrane Library. The two reviews on the database have been used to build what is currently in this section so I plan on looking for any additional information from these to add. Likewise, I will be looking through PubMed for more reviews. McginleyAlex (talk) 16:05, 17 November 2022 (UTC)