Diaper rash occurs when the skin becomes infected with bacteria or fungi. Pathogenic microflora multiplies quickly in skin folds and conditions of high humidity. The disease causes redness, irritation of the epidermis, itching and an unpleasant odor.
Diaper rash between the toes develops due to poor hygiene, wearing poor-quality shoes, hyperhidrosis, or against the background of systemic ailments. Drying ointments, antifungal agents, medicinal baths and traditional medicine recipes help get rid of unpleasant symptoms.
Causes
Diaper rash between the toes can occur in both men and women at any age.
Among the most common causes of diaper rash between the fingers in adults are the following:
- lack of personal hygiene;
- overweight;
- frequent wearing of tight or rubber shoes;
- hyperhidrosis;
- damaged skin between the fingers;
- after visiting the sauna or swimming pool;
- after cosmetic procedures (pedicure);
- allergy;
- wearing someone else's shoes or socks;
- diabetes;
- diseases of the cardiovascular system;
- impaired metabolism.
Diaper rash between the toes is also common in children. This may be caused by the child sweating excessively.
Foot problems in children
How can diaper rash appear between a baby's toes? If all hygiene requirements are observed, this can be explained by not yet established thermoregulation, if we are talking about infants. Often this is a combination of poor shoes, which cause feet to sweat a lot, and low levels of immunity if the body is not able to cope with common bacteria. This could also be a manifestation of allergies or fungal diseases. In any case, it is better to show the child to a doctor, and to make him feel better, use the simple medications listed above.
How to recognize diaper rash
Diaper rash between the toes is fairly easy to recognize. At the first stage of the disease, the patient feels discomfort in the interdigital area, the skin itches and itches.
Upon examination, you can notice wounds and cracks in the skin. During walking or other physical activity, when sweating in the body increases and the skin between the fingers becomes wet, itching and discomfort intensify.
In more advanced stages of the disease, redness increases, the itching becomes unbearable, redness and swelling appear. Also, the skin in the places where diaper rash appears begins to tear off.
If treatment is not started in a timely manner, purulent inflammation will occur in the area where diaper rash occurs.
Eczema or allergies?
If earlier both problems were considered related, now dermatologists consider them to be separate skin diseases. Allergens can aggravate the course of eczema, adding new symptoms to it, so diagnosis is somewhat difficult. Rashes on the skin may appear due to the fact that socks are poorly rinsed from washing powder. How to treat diaper rash between the toes if it is caused by an allergy? For self-diagnosis, you need to carefully examine your feet; if this is an acute reaction to an irritant, then redness may also appear on the ankles, where the elastic fits tightly to the skin.
First of all, it is recommended to avoid contact with the allergen if possible and take antihistamines. If diaper rash begins to fade and go away, then it will be enough to treat it with zinc ointment or powder it with talcum powder, this will help to quickly cope with the problem.
Symptoms and stages of development
Symptoms of diaper rash on the legs:
- redness of the epidermis in the interdigital area;
- the occurrence of cracks and abrasions;
- prickly heat on the feet;
- itching and burning that worsens with walking or physical activity;
- moisture in the skin between the toes;
- pain;
- the appearance of ulcers;
- unpleasant smell.
If you notice at least a few of the above symptoms, you should immediately contact a dermatologist, who will make the correct diagnosis and prescribe effective treatment.
There are three stages of disease development:
- Easy, or beginner. This stage is characterized by the appearance of cracks and abrasions in the interdigital cavities. In addition, during physical activity the patient feels discomfort and itching.
- Average. At this stage, the discomfort that occurs during movement intensifies, the cracks become deeper and can develop into bleeding wounds.
- Heavy. The patient feels severe pain in the feet, the skin becomes covered with ulcers, and purulent inflammation occurs. The disease can spread throughout the entire foot.
Antiseptic treatment
When the first signs of pathology appear, it is necessary to eliminate the causes of its appearance, walk barefoot more often so that the skin can dry out. It is recommended to wash your feet with soap with bactericidal properties (Dettol), ordinary household soap 72% or tar. This will help eliminate infectious agents and get rid of unpleasant odors.
Diaper rash between the toes can be treated in the early stages with Chlorhexidine, Furacilin solution or Chlorophyllipt. After hygiene procedures, the skin is carefully wiped with a cotton swab dipped in antiseptic, allowed to dry and sprinkled with talcum powder. It is useful to use baby powder, Sholl Odour, Dr. Talc. Pharmacy products eliminate excess moisture, so the skin between the fingers remains dry.
Treatment methods
Before treating diaper rash, you should determine at what stage of development the disease is.
If the disease is mild, first of all it is necessary to minimize any mechanical impact on the skin of the feet. It is recommended to avoid shoes made from low-quality materials. Diaper rash on the little toe is often caused by tight shoes made of hard materials; in such cases, it is better to opt for loose and soft shoes.
In addition, you need to pay special attention to hygiene: careful care in the interdigital area is quite important. The skin should be washed with warm water and fragrance-free soap. During washing, you can use a small amount of antiseptic. After washing, dry the skin of your feet thoroughly with a towel.
Medical therapy
If interdigital diaper rash occurs, you should consult a doctor promptly. The specialist, having assessed the patient’s condition, will prescribe the necessary antibiotics, antibacterial and medications or special ointments.
In the initial stages of the disease, it is recommended to treat the interdigital folds with baby powder, which dries the skin well. Also, to dry the epidermis, absorb excess sweat and restore blood circulation, a specialist may advise exposing the skin to infrared light.
Treatment with folk remedies
In the initial stages of the disease, folk remedies are quite effective.
Foot baths based on oak bark, calendula, chamomile, celandine or pine needles have an anti-inflammatory effect, soften irritated skin and normalize sweating. It is recommended to do such baths twice a day for 2 weeks.
For an antibacterial effect, you can treat the skin between your fingers with brilliant green, and for softening purposes, sunflower or olive oil is suitable.
Medicines
Therapeutic actions to eliminate diaper rash between the fingers begin with applying antiseptics to the skin. The skin is thoroughly moistened with one of these products and then dried with napkins or a hairdryer. This treatment is more suitable for the middle stage of the disease, and at an early stage, an emollient cream will be sufficient. It does not destroy bacteria, but softens the skin, which promotes the healing of cracks. When bleeding ulcers appear, preparations with zinc are used. Due to the astringent properties of this chemical element, such medicines promote rapid healing of ulcers.
This will avoid the appearance of bleeding wounds. Treating such a disease in the initial stages is much easier and faster. In particular, diaper rash can be treated not only with baby powder, but also with talcum powder. These drugs have moisture absorption properties.
If necessary, the doctor prescribes procedures using infrared radiation to the patient. This method improves blood circulation and removes moisture from fungal-affected skin areas. At home, dermatologists recommend treating diaper rash diluted in water with boric acid. After washing the skin, dry it thoroughly with a soft towel.
Rapid relief from diaper rash occurs if it is detected early and treated correctly. An accelerated way to eliminate diaper rash is complex therapy.
Skin care for diaper rash
When treating diaper rash, personal hygiene plays an important role. The skin in the area where the pathology occurs must be washed thoroughly and often. It is not recommended to use products with added dyes, fragrances and chemical components.
After washing, the skin should be thoroughly dried, while avoiding strong rubbing movements, which can damage the delicate layer of the epidermis and cause irritation.
Application of ointments and creams
If severe inflammation occurs, dermatologists advise treating damaged skin with zinc-based medicinal ointments, which have a drying and antibacterial effect. Teymur's paste is especially useful in the fight against diaper rash. It helps absorb excess moisture, eliminates pathogenic microbes and unpleasant odors. Apply this product 3 times a day to clean and dry skin.
In order to heal ulcers and soothe irritations, it is recommended to use Vaseline, calendula-based ointment or medicinal creams “Panthenol” and “Levomekol”. These remedies have a healing effect and eliminate inflammation.
The right shoes
To combat diaper rash, you should choose comfortable shoes made from high-quality and natural materials.
In shoes made of rubber or other synthetic materials, feet sweat a lot, unwanted friction between the toes occurs, and air circulation is disrupted. All this provokes the occurrence of redness, microcracks, irritation, sweat under the influence of bacteria begins to decompose in the skin folds, and diaper rash appears.
When choosing the right shoes, it is recommended to pay attention to the following details:
- shoes must be made of quality materials, genuine leather or textiles;
- the percentage of rubber and synthetics in shoes should be minimal;
- the boot should not hug the leg too tightly and squeeze it on the sides;
- shoes should not be too loose, otherwise there is a risk that they will chafe.
Processing by various means
Doctors often recommend treating the area where diaper rash occurs with a solution containing boric acid. The solution is prepared at the rate of 10 g per glass of water. After treating the interdigital cavities with this solution, the skin must be thoroughly dried with a soft napkin or towel.
Treating the area between the fingers with brilliant green or a solution with a few drops of iodine will help get rid of excess moisture and prevent the growth of bacteria.
Therapeutic baths
You can get rid of diaper rash at home by taking baths with decoctions of medicinal herbs. Oak bark, sage, St. John's wort, chamomile, string, celandine, and calendula flowers have astringent, drying, regenerating and bactericidal properties. If your feet sweat a lot or smell unpleasant, add mint or eucalyptus to the decoction. Such ingredients give a feeling of freshness and coolness.
To prepare the medicine, take 2 tablespoons of the herb, pour 0.5 ml of boiling water and leave for 2-3 hours. Then the composition is filtered, added to a basin of water, into which the feet are immersed and kept for 15–20 minutes. After the procedure, the feet should be allowed to dry naturally. Treatment should be carried out daily in the evening before bedtime. This method can also be used to prevent diaper rash between the fingers.
Baths are also made with soda or a weak solution of potassium permanganate; a few drops of iodine are added to the water.
Preventive measures
People of any gender and at any age are susceptible to diaper rash. To prevent the occurrence of this disease, it is recommended to follow some rules:
- make a choice in favor of shoes made from natural materials;
- adhere to the rules of personal hygiene;
- follow the rules for visiting swimming pools and saunas;
- do not use other people's shoes and clothes;
- do not use other people’s pedicure tools;
- moisturize the skin of the feet.
By following these steps, the risk of diaper rash will be minimized.
Why does foot odor occur?
Natural causes
The basis of the smell is the work of the sweat glands, which are located on the surface of the skin of the feet in large numbers and perform the most important function - thermoregulation.
During periods of increased outdoor temperature, when wearing warm shoes and socks, and with increased physical activity, the sweat glands begin to work more intensely, and the odor becomes more pronounced. Up to 200 ml of sweat can be produced per day.
The fluid produced by the sweat glands, i.e. sweat has no odor because it consists of 99% water, and only 1% consists of various salts, acids, chlorine and ammonia. The smell arises as a result of the activity of bacteria, for which sweat is a wonderful habitat. And socks and shoes, which a person wears almost constantly, create optimal conditions for the proliferation of microorganisms: a warm and humid environment.
However, the smell is different from the smell. Each person has his own sweat odor of a certain intensity. Sometimes the cause of unpleasant foot odor is an individual characteristic of the body in the form of increased sweating - not the most pleasant feature, but knowing about it, a person can strictly observe hygiene rules and not worry about the problem.
Pathological causes
In addition to natural causes, unpleasant foot odor can be caused by certain pathologies:
- Foot fungus, toenail fungus;
- Hormonal changes in the body;
- Stress, nervous diseases, phobias;
- Vegetovascular dystonia;
- Diabetes;
- Tuberculosis;
- Diseases of the endocrine system;
- Cardiovascular pathologies;
- Unbalanced diet.
Therefore, if an unpleasant foot odor suddenly begins to bother you, but this has not been observed before, this is a reason to undergo a medical examination.
Pharmacy ointments
How to treat diaper rash between fingers and toes in adults? You can eliminate redness and swelling of the skin and speed up the healing of blisters using the following means:
- Desitin dries the dermis, absorbs excess moisture, and creates a protective film against bacteria and fungi. During treatment, there is no drying or peeling of tissue. Treat feet 3 times a day; the drug can be used to remove diaper rash in children and adults.
- Sudocrem quickly relieves skin irritation, has anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antifungal, and local anesthetic effects. To treat diaper rash, the ointment must be applied 4-6 times a day until the skin is completely cleansed.
- Calendula ointment is an antiparasitic, antimicrobial agent that promotes wound healing. The drug is made on the basis of plant extracts and can be used to treat diaper rash in people who are allergic to other synthetic creams.
- Teymurov's paste contains salicylic, boric acid, zinc oxide, formaldehyde, peppermint oil. The medicine cleanses the dermis, relieves itching, inflammation, reduces sweating, and dries wounds. Treatment should not be carried out for purulent ulcers. The paste is applied in a thin layer to previously cleansed skin of the interdigital folds 2-3 times a day.
If diaper rash appears between the toes of a fungal etiology, treatment should be carried out with creams with an antimycotic effect. A good therapeutic effect is achieved by using Nystatin, Levorin ointment, Clotrimazole. In severe cases of the disease, systemic administration of antimycotics may be required; the treatment regimen and dosage of drugs is selected by a dermatologist individually for each patient.
Prevention measures
To prevent the development of skin pathology, you need to wear comfortable shoes made from natural materials. Athletes and people suffering from local hyperhidrosis are recommended to use antiseptics and foot deodorants.
After water procedures, the skin should be completely dry; you should not rub the interdigital area too much. Use a separate cotton towel for foot care. Before putting on shoes, you need to wipe the dermis with an antiseptic and sprinkle the folds with talcum powder.
Diaper rash between the fingers appears due to poor hygiene, excessive sweating, and fungal infection of tissues. To carry out effective treatment, you need to visit a dermatologist, the doctor will establish the correct diagnosis and prescribe products for external use. In addition to basic therapy, alternative medicine recipes can be used.
Diagnostics
Diaper rash between the fingers has similar symptoms, regardless of whether it is caused by a fungus, bacteria, or simply mechanical damage, without the addition of an infection. There are some nuances that indicate the presence of foot fungus or bacterial infection, but it is impossible to accurately determine the presence of the pathogen and its type by the appearance of the lesion.
To know exactly how to treat this disease, it is necessary to determine the type of fungus or bacteria.
Therefore, smears and scrapings from the affected areas are subjected to laboratory tests using a microscope, as well as by germinating the taken culture in a nutrient medium. In cases of difficulties in diagnosis, the method of histological examination of the skin can be used.
