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Athlete's foot is a fungal infection that anyone can contract. Athlete's foot typically appears around and in between the toes of the host foot but certainly is limited to just this area of the foot.

In fact, being a fungus, athlete's foot can spread to other parts of the body such as the hands, the underarms, and the groin. This type of spreading is typically the case if a child touches an infected area then touches another part of the body.

The cause of athlete's stems from getting infected by the fungus; the best chances of this occurring are traditionally when bare feet intersect with swimming pools, locker rooms and showers, or sharing footwear.

The fungi responsible for athlete's foot flourishes in dark moist areas; this explains why once on your foot, a little natural body sweat and the dark environment of your shoes and you've got all the necessary ingredients to propagate some itching, redness, stinging, and burning, along with some cracking and peeling skin associated with athlete's foot.

Over the counter medications can effectively treat athlete's foot. However, with more severe or stubborn cases you'll want to pay a visit to your doctor in order to get stronger more effective treatments.

Remember, athlete's foot is contagious so you'll want to get it under control sooner rather than later.

Knowing the type of environment that the athlete's foot fungus thrives in, the prevention and treatment becomes creating an environment around your foot that in direct opposition of the preferred environment... which is keeping your feet clean and dry with particular attention given to those spaces between your toes.

If you have the type of feet that tend to perspire easily, also make sure that you change your socks regularly, wear breathable shoes (avoiding those made of plastics and vinyl material).

You may even wish to alternate days with your shoes so that the previous day's shoes have ample time to dry out on the inside before you put them on again.

If you have cause to use public showers such as those provided for you at the gym or the fitness spa, get yourself a pair of water proof flip-flops to wear during your shower and locker room time.

In the majority of instances, taking proper precautions as we discussed above is your best preventative measure against getting itching, burning, and peeling skin condition known as athlete's foot.