Athlete's foot questions

Cokebotle

So my friend is visiting from the States for about 2 weeks. As people may or may not know, it's customary to take off your shoes when in a Japanese home/apartment. Now, my friend came over with sandals to visit. After about 3 days of walking around my apartment barefoot (no socks whatsoever) he makes an offhand comment about possible Athlete's foot, which pissed me off. He now has shoes and socks, but doesn't wear them much. It really pisses me off when he scratches his feet while using my computer, but he doesn't do that much anymore (that I've seen, at least... I'm at work now and he's at my place until I get home).

This isn't about whether or not I have it, it's how to clean my apartment now and make sure I don't get it, if I don't already (don't think I do, though, given the symptoms I've read online, but I'm being careful regardless). Thankfully, I have no tatami mats, just wood flooring and carpet. I did some research into how it can be spread, but not too much from the "how do I clean up this shit" point of view.

He's used my washing machine for his clothes, but that shouldn't be a big issue, right? Just so long as I don't wash something immediately after him? For the carpet, would I need to find some sort of special cleaner, or could I buy an empty spray bottle and lightly dust my carpet with isopropyl alcohol, or something? For the wood, just use some general wood cleaner, and let it dry?

Thanks for any and all help!

dispatch.o

It's just a pretty tough fungus, any sort of disinfectant type cleaner should work well. You can also spray his filthy shoes with some anti-fungal if you want to be sure. Really though, if you're that concerned I'd just powder my feet once a week or so if I were you, until he leaves.

AyeJaye

Keep your feet and the areas you walk on dry. The bathroom and shower floors are your biggest enemy here. Everything else should be fine unless Japanese apartments are really moist for some Japanese reason.

Cokebotle

They're not moist, just humid. I've been meaning to pick up a dehumidifier for a few weeks, but don't feel like spending ~$300 or so.

Good to know though. I've been doing my best to keep my feet dry and I make sure to wear socks around the apartment. Just wanted to make sure there isn't something else I was missing.

Thanks again!

Thegreatcow

AyeJaye wrote: »

Keep your feet and the areas you walk on dry. The bathroom and shower floors are your biggest enemy here. Everything else should be fine unless Japanese apartments are really moist for some Japanese reason.

Aye 2nd'ing this.

I suffered from athletes foot on several occaisions during high school due to the sheer amount of practice/showers each day and your biggest enemy is moisture. Athletes foot fungus doesn't take quickly, but once it does, it thrives like hell in a wet environment. As others have said, just keep your feet dry, sprinkle talc powder if you're really worried and just make sure to dry your feet thoroughly when you get out of the shower.

JebusUD

As long as you change your socks every day and keep your feet dry, you won't get it.

Cokebotle

I make sure to wear clean socks every day, so no problem there. Anything special I need to worry about with my washing machine, though? I read something online about using warm water and bleach, but my washer only does cold water to my knowledge.

Sidenote: Does it cling to socks easily and spread that way? Or just to wet/moist ones?

poshniallo

It's not that infectious at all. You're more likely to get it from the air and Japanese humidity than from him.

Thegreatcow

Ayup, the fungus is mainly spread by direct contact with it and skin and clothes. It does not thrive in something like a washing machine as long as you don't let your wet clothes sit there for a long period of time and even then, they'd probably dry out before anything else.

Like people have said, as long as you keep your feet dry and change your socks regularly, you have nothing to worry about. The fungus is really odd in that it's hard to get, but once you get it, it's a pain to get rid of.

Cokebotle

Hm... ok. I'll keep an eye on it as best I can then. I still think I'll be picking up a few things at the store tonight, though. I think it's spreading to my socks by walking around my room, as standing in class makes my feet burn, but when I push my toes up off my socks as best as I can, it stops. I'm assuming that's something with my socks and not that I actually have it, right? It doesn't burn otherwise.

Reiten

If you get it, you'll get it from sharing a shower/bath, not from the floor.

Do you have an AC unit in your apartment? If so, every AC unit that I've seen in Japan has a "dry" setting. It's basically a dehumidifier. It uses less electricity than the AC setting, sucks the humidity out of the air and does a pretty good job of cooling the air. I basically just use the dry setting rather than the AC setting.

Cokebotle

Ok. Yeah, I have an AC, and I think I keep it on the "dry" setting if I'm not cooling off the oven that is my room. I'll double check when I get home, though.

Thegreatcow

Cokebotle wrote: »

Hm... ok. I'll keep an eye on it as best I can then. I still think I'll be picking up a few things at the store tonight, though. I think it's spreading to my socks by walking around my room, as standing in class makes my feet burn, but when I push my toes up off my socks as best as I can, it stops. I'm assuming that's something with my socks and not that I actually have it, right? It doesn't burn otherwise.

That sounds more like blood pressure /nerve pain rather than anything else. Here's basically what a bad athlete's foot fungus infection feels like:

It usually formed between my toes as they're often pressed together.

Now, Imagine the itchiest sensation you can think of.

Got it? Now, take that itchy sensation and place it right between some of your toes. Now, add some horribly rank smell (like worse than old socks left to marinate for a few days) and also skin peeling/inflammation and general moistness/sliminess between your toes where the fungus is. The fungus basically causes your dead skin to rot and fall off around your feet and toes, and it is horribly HORRIBLY itchy. Trust me, you'll know it when you get it because at times it can get so bad you'll want to claw your feet out from your shoes.

Now, if what you're experiencing sounds something similar like that, you're probably wondering how to treat it.

You pretty much have to mentally psych yourself that treatment will take a couple of weeks at minimum. The fungus is a tenacious bastard and even the slightest bit of moisture or peeling skin will give it fuel to start replicating and festering again.

Change your socks EVERY day
Try to wear open toed sandals if at all possible.
Buy an anti-athletes foot spray/cream. When looking for anti-fungal creams/sprays look for over-the-counter antifungal drugs that contain tolnaftate, miconazole, and undecylenic acid.
Buy the strongest Talcum Powder/Foot Powder you can get. I don't know about Japan, but here in the United States we have something called Gold Bond Maximum Strength Foot Powder, in a Blue Plastic Bottle.



This stuff works wonders. I usually would spray my feet with the anti-fungal spray, then follow up with a dash of the powder in my socks and dash a bit into my shoes. The combination of the medicine in the spray, the drying out ability of the powder, AND it's ability to mitigate the odor my feet would generate went a long way to making dealing with athlete's foot more bearable.

Oh and of course as others have said...keep your feet dry.

Hope this helps.

bubblesbane

Athlete's foot, caused by the fungus trichophytonrubrum, thrives in warmth and moisture. It makes your feet feel itchy and irritated.

The best way to prevent getting athlete’s foot fungus is by never going barefoot and never sharing socks or footwear.Keep your feet clean and dry. Wash your feet daily with soap and water. Use a clean towel and dry thoroughly between your toes. Let your feet air dry.