ask: Athlete's Foot in a Non-Athlete?

Free2beme, nope, you don't have to be an athlete to get athlete's foot! They are more prone to getting it simply due to exposure in locker rooms, etc, but anyone can get athlete's foot if they are somehow exposed to the fungus that causes it. As much as 70% of the population is estimated to have it at some point in their lives.

That fungus, in addition to being found in locker rooms and places like gyms and swimming pools, can also be found in nail salons, or in your socks or clothing. All it needs is a warm, moist environment (like maybe the inside of your sneakers) to thrive. And skin that feels dry and itchy is one of the primary symptoms.

Here's a page with good descriptions of the symptoms and appearances of athlete's foot:

http://www.medicinenet.com/athletes_foot/article.htm

And here are some tips on dealing with it:

http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/footproblems/a/athletesfoot.htm

In many cases, fungal growth on skin areas including between the toes are a symptom of another problem. There is evidence now to link athletes foot conditions to changes in the GI system that may include overpopulation of bad bacteria in the gut such as yeast or candida. You may want to consider changes in your diet to include more greens (foods high in chlorophyl) to add oxigenation to your gut and supplements of good bacteria (plain yogurt, a product called Lactopriv or any other product containing 3-5 types of good bacteria to aid your gut. Remember, the wisdom of our bodies! They are always trying to tell us something and fungus could be a symptom of something more than a topical condition.

The reason it spreads so easily is that some people with Athlete's Foot don't even know they have it because it can easily be written off as dry skin. Not only can this fungus be spread to others from your feet, but you can spread it to other areas of your body such as your hands and unfortunately, your groin (a ripe moist area for fungus to thrive).