Athlete's Foot: When To Call A Doctor

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When To Call a Doctor

Call your health professional about a skin infection on your feet if:

• Your feet have severe cracking, scaling, or peeling skin.
• You have blisters on your feet.
• You notice signs of bacterial infection, including:
  • Increased pain, swelling, redness, tenderness, or heat.
  • Red streaks extending from the affected area.
  • Discharge of pus.
  • Fever of or higher with no other cause.
• The infection appears to be spreading.
• You have diabetes or diseases associated with poor circulation and you get athlete's foot. People with diabetes are at increased risk of a severe bacterial infection of the foot and leg if they have athlete's foot.
• Your symptoms do not improve after 2 weeks of treatment or are not gone after 4 weeks of treatment with a nonprescription antifungal medicine.

Watchful Waiting

Watchful waiting is a period of time during which you and your health professional observe your symptoms or condition without using medical treatment. You can usually treat athlete's foot yourself at home. However, any persistent, severe, or recurrent infections should be evaluated by your health professional.

When athlete's foot symptoms appear, you can first use a nonprescription product. If your symptoms do not improve after 2 weeks of treatment or have not gone away after 4 weeks of treatment, call your health professional.

Who To See

Health professionals who can diagnose or treat athlete's foot include:

• Physician assistants.
• Nurse practitioners.
• Family medicine doctors.
• Internal medicine doctors.
• Dermatologists.
• Podiatrists.

To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment

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Last updated:	July 19, 2006
Author:	Debby Golonka, MPH
Reviewed By:	Patrice Burgess, MD - Family Medicine, Randall D. Burr, MD - Dermatology
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman