A doctor may diagnose athlete’s foot by the symptoms. Or, a doctor may order a skin test if they aren’t sure a fungal infection is causing your symptoms.
A skin lesion potassium hydroxide exam is the most common test for athlete’s foot. A doctor scrapes off a small area of infected skin and places it in potassium hydroxide. The KOH destroys normal cells and leaves the fungal cells untouched so they are easy to see under a microscope.
If your athlete's foot doesn't respond to nonprescription products and self-care, you may need to see a doctor to get a prescription-strength cream or ointment, such as clotrimazole (Lotrisone), econazole (Ecoza, Spectazole) or ciclopirox (Loprox, Penlac). If you have a more serious infection, your doctor might prescribe antifungal pills, such as terbinafine (Lamisil) or itraconazole (Sporanox, Tolsura). Or you might need both topical and oral medicine.
Lifestyle and home remedies
These tips can help you ease the symptoms of athlete's foot or avoid a recurrence:
Keep your feet clean and dry. Wash your feet twice a day and gently towel-dry between the toes.
Use an antifungal product. After washing and drying your feet, apply an antifungal product. The antifungal terbinafine (Lamisil AT) has been shown to be very effective. Another option is clotrimazole (Lotrimin AF). You may need to experiment to find the product and formulation — ointment, gel, cream, lotion, powder or spray — that work for you. Apply the product to the affected skin as directed — usually twice a day until a week after the rash clears up. It might take 2 to 4 weeks to see results. If the condition comes back, you might need to start applying the product again.
Change socks regularly. Change your socks at least once a day — more often if your feet get really sweaty.
Wear light, well-ventilated footwear. Avoid shoes made of synthetic material, such as vinyl or rubber. Wear sandals when possible to let your feet air out.
Alternate pairs of shoes. Use different shoes from day to day. This gives your shoes time to dry after each use.
Protect your feet in public places. Wear waterproof sandals or shoes around public pools, showers and lockers rooms.
Try not to scratch the rash. You can try soothing your itchy feet by soaking them in cool water.
Don't share shoes. Sharing risks spreading a fungal infection.
