An athlete's foot infection is characterized by dry and scaly skin on the sides of the foot and can become itchy. Cuts and blisters may also develop which break the skin and leaves small raw skin areas exposed that can become painful. Such conditions usually occur right between the toes and can really become a very nagging problem. Socks is the answer Wear cotton socks all the time as these help in absorbing much of the sweat and moisture in your feet thereby preventing the growth of the fungi. Don t use those socks again! Change them often. Throw them into the laundry bin after use. A fresh pair of socks can help in preventing athlete's foot from occurring. When not treated, the areas may develop into blisters and the toenails may become yellowed and thick. Athlete's foot, despite the name, does not only affect sports people. In fact, it is one of the most common foot problems, affecting all kinds of people with different professions. Even office workers can be affected by this problem. There are a number of treatments available to get rid of athlete's foot. Over-the-counter anti-fungal medications are now available in drug stores that will be able to effectively cure your athlete's foot. There are topical foot creams as well as oral applications that can cure you of such fungal infections. When you use public facilities where there is moisture, these fungus adhere to the outer layers of the skin. When not washed out and dried, this fungus can live inside your shoes or await another foot, which it can adhere to the next. Symptoms of athlete's foot How do you know when you have athlete's foot? After all you do not want your whole body to be suffering from fungus or your whole team or your whole family suffering from fungus. When fungus strikes, treat it right away and then make sure that you wash your feet regularly and dry them after washing so that it will not strike again. Do not make your body or your surroundings susceptible to fungus.