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Most people say that the hands are the body parts that come into contact with the most number of germs and bacteria because we are always using them for all the things we have to do. However, we forgot to take into account that our feet are pretty much doing the same thing, maybe even to a larger extent because unlike birds that can fly, our feet are always left to stand, walk and even press against our bed when we sleep and as such, they are always in contact with something and are always vulnerable to toe and foot fungus infection.
When we say foot fungus, we are referring to athlete’s foot. And when we say toe fungus, we are referring to toenail fungus.
Both fungal infections are cause by dermatophytes that are everywhere. These dermatophytes don’t need sunlight to survive so that makes them very versatile to live anywhere always in waiting for a host. These micro-organisms prefer moist and humid areas so; any place that can be described by these conditions will have a lot of dermatophytes.
If you walk barefooted on any surface that has a lot of dermatophytes two things can happen. One, these fungi will cling to the skin of your feet and settle in between your toes where it is often moist to develop the condition of athlete’s foot.
Second, these fungi will enter any opening; a skin cut or a crack on your nail to get to your toenail bed and develop the condition of toenail fungus.
Athlete’s foot and toenail fungus may not exactly develop together. Since athlete’s foot is easier to catch because the destination of the fungus is exposed, this condition is likely to happen first. The toenail bed can get the fungal infection later when the fungus resting on the skin of the feet finds the right opening to get there.
So, is foot fungus contagious?
Yes, it is. Since the fungus just rests on the skin of the feet, they can easily be passed on to another person. If you come into direct or indirect contact with another person who has foot fungus, you will most likely get the infection too. By direct contact, we mean your skin directly touching the infected area of the other person. And when we say indirect contact, you can possibly get infected when your skin comes into to contact with any object that came into contact with another person’s infected skin area.
Since foot fungus and toe fungus is closely related, prevention of one will also apply for the other. Preventing the occurrence of both foot fungus and toe fungus involve very basic hygienic practices. Here are some tips on how you can keep yourself safe from these fungus problems.
Proper hygiene should always include washing your hands and feet on a regular basis. Your hands and feet are in constant contact with the unsanitary environment and there is a great chance for them to come into contact with dermatophytes.
Just be sure to wash your hands and feet with soap and water and dry them thoroughly when you are finished. Wash and dry every area especially in between your toes where the fungus would like to stay.
Dermatophytes like wet and moist surfaces so; it will be very good to wear sweat-absorbing fabrics like wool, nylon and polypropylene. And when your socks become wet of sweat or water, remove them right away, dry your feet and wear a fresh new pair of socks. But, be sure to dry your feet very well before wearing the new pair.
While shoes and other footwear can protect you from getting infected with foot fungus, footwear that is too enclosed and don’t provide for breathing space will cause you to sweat and create the perfect environment for dermatophytes.
You only need to keep your feet protected from the flooring so slippers or sandals will do, except for those days when you have to wear leather for your office and sneakers for your workouts.
It is possible that dermatophytes could develop inside your footwear while you are not wearing them. If they are left moist, dermatophytes will prefer staying inside them. So before putting on your shoes, it will be very good to spray an anti-fungal solution to kill the fungus that might have developed inside.
To prevent toe fungus, you have to protect all access to you toenail bed. Nail salons are fond of trimming the skin around the nails. Avoid this part of the service at all cost because this practice may well be creating a passage way for the dermatophytes to get to your toenail bed. The smallest skin cut can already provide them access.
Dermatophytes are most often passed on from one person to another. Public shower rooms and toilets are the places where fungus is often transferred because so many people are walking barefooted in these wet floored areas. A barefooted infected person can easily spread the fungus and a barefooted person can easily catch it.
In case prevention is already out of the question because you already have foot fungus and toe fungus, the best toe fungus treatment for both is a product called Zetaclear.
Zetaclear’s natural ingredients effectively kill toe and foot fungus by dealing with the problem in two fronts. The Zetaclear package comes with a topical solution that you can apply on your problem areas including the infected toenails. The product’s fungus-fighting ingredients can pass through the same passageways that were used by the dermatophytes. And as it treats the problem with direct contact, the package also includes an oral spray that will take care of the fungus problem internally. With Zetaclear, toe and foot fungus infections don’t stand a chance. There is no place to hide. All they can do; is die.