Where Does “Athletes Foot” Get Its Name?
Athletes foot is a colloquial term for a fungal skin infection caused by a group of fungal organisms known as dermatophytes. The more formal, medical terms for the condition are tinea pedis and ringworm of the foot. So why did the term athletes foot come about? Surely it’s not just athletes that get the condition?
That’s correct, anyone can develop this fungal skin infection. But it does appear that athletes have a higher incidence rate. Here are some of the reasons why that is the case.
- As the condition can be passed by direct, person to person contact, people who engage in lots of contact sport put themselves in a higher-risk bracket.
- Athletes foot can also be passed by in-direct contact and a sure fire way of developing the infection is to walk around barefoot in public locker rooms or shower rooms where the floors are damp. Many athletes and gym-goers don’t wear protective footwear and these environments.
- Another reasons why athletes are more susceptible is their tendency to wear sweaty shoes and socks for long periods of time following exercise. The fungal organisms that cause athletes foot will develop quickly in these kinds of damp, protected, dark and airless environments.
- Sharing personal items such as towels and nail instruments with people who may be infected is another way of catching the disease.
~JULIO Keech
Tags: Sport
This entry was posted by JULIO Keech at 12:07 AM and is filed under Sport.
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