Athlete's foot through a microscope...for the overly curious, you can see a symptomatic foot here
At the risk of my “grab bag” theme leading me into downright unpleasant territory, I will now move (possibly just this once) into the realm of medical conditions.
This nasty (but relatively common) fungal infection is associated with athletes because of its ability to thrive in moist environments where people walk around barefoot, like locker rooms. It is a communicable disease, usually going from one host to another when they share shoes or hang out in the same wet place. Towels can spread the disease, but this is uncommon for an obvious reason: how long did you spend vigorously drying your foot with a towel today? There are several over the counter remedies, although in rare cases antibiotics can kick the stuff for good. Athlete's foot can spread to other areas, including your groin (!) or elsewhere. This condition has been common for a long time, and there are several “alternative methods” of treatment found across the world. Tea tree oil can ease the symptoms, and some even use Ajoene, a compound in garlic! Apparently stinky things will find each other eventually...
No comments:
Post a Comment