Tell Me About Athlete's Foot Treatment! My Foot Is On Fire!
By: Tammy Foster
Athlete's foot treatment is designed to quiet the burning pain of athlete's foot. It is important to remember though, that you should not start any athlete's foot treatment without having an absolute diagnosis of this pestering fungus. Do not treat what you do not have.
Here's the deal, if you have never been diagnosed with a case of athlete's foot and if you think you might have it now, then you simply must see your health care provider in order to a definitive diagnosis. This is critically important so that proper treatment can begin.
When you visit your doctor, he may be able to diagnosis athlete's foot just by looking at the area. Some cases are simply so clear cut. Other times your physician may need to take a small sample of skin from your foot and send it off to the lab for examination. This examination with either confirm the presence or absence of the notorious fungal cells of athlete's foot.
After an accurate diagnosis, your doctor may elect to simply treat your athlete's foot with over-the-counter anti-fungal sprays and creams. These have been shown to be quite effective in battling fungus.
Most cases of athlete's foot are mild but bothersome. It is also good to remember that even though it is driving you crazy right now, that most cases will go away in two or three weeks if you consistently treat the area. But some cases are stubborn and will come back over and over again! Some who battle athlete's foot actually try to beat it to the punch by just consistently treating the area with anti-fungal sprays and powders. Check with your physician to see if this is acceptable for you.
Some times your case of athlete's foot is so serious that it takes more than over the counter medication, it takes prescription strength anti-fungal medication. If this is the case, don't fret, just follow the plan and do not skip any doses.
It can be that OTC creams and sprays do not effectively reach the lower layers of the skin where the fungus really lives and this leads to it rearing its ugly head again. This is the perfect example of when your physician may decide that your need a stronger medication, which may include not only a stronger topical medication but also an oral anti-fungal as well.
It should be pretty easy to remember that if you do not use the medication as prescribed and use it for the entire time order, then you are much more likely to have a re-occurrence of athlete's foot. So get it through your thick head, follow your doctor's orders.
If you are sure that you have athlete's foot and you have had it before, then it is certainly alright to treat it at home with over the counter anti-fungal medications. But this is only acceptable if you have had a previous definitive diagnosis and you know what you are looking for.
But, remember, if you are still waging the athlete's foot war after two full weeks of treatment that you should follow up with your health care provider for stronger prescription based treatment.
Proper athlete's foot treatment can help you to regain control of your feet again. Adequate and appropriate treatment can stop the itching and burning and can put a smile back on your face!
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