Dermatologists said wearing shoes without socks can increase the risk of onychomycosis, a fungal infection of the nails, and while serious cases can affect walking, a survey last week showed that more than 60 percent of people who have onychomycosis do not seek treatment.
The Taiwanese Dermatological Association on Thursday last week released the results of its survey on the shoe-wearing habits of office workers, with data collected from 1,020 respondents, which showed that 63.1 percent of office workers wear shoes for more than eight hours per day.
Eighteen percent of respondents have been diagnosed with onychomycosis at least once, while 26.9 percent have habits that pose a high risk of triggering the condition, the survey said.
Association spokesperson and dermatologist Huang Yu-huei (黃毓惠) said the survey found that about 56 percent of office workers have worn shoes, despite them being damp from sweat or rain, exposing their feet to a warm and moist environment in which fungi can thrive.
Tseng Te-peng (曾德朋), a physician in Taiwan Adventist Hospital’s Department of Dermatology, said that because onychomycosis does not cause pain or itchiness, many people neglect the disease until it gets worse, which can see a thickening and deformation of the nails, granulated tissue, or cellular inflammation that can affect walking.
He said onychomycosis can be treated by applying medicine on and around the nails, while oral medication can work in some cases, but a doctor should be consulted to decide which treatment is suitable.
Tseng said onychomycosis is infectious, so people should seek medical treatment as soon as possible to prevent spreading the disease to family members.
Tseng said that people should dry their toes thoroughly after a bath or swimming, and keep them as dry as possible at all times.
“I suggest that people wear socks with shoes, because socks can help absorb sweat,” Tseng said.
“Some people think water will be drained away by rubber shoes with holes in them on rainy days, but in reality the feet are soaked in water for long hours, increasing the risk of fungi growing,” he said.
Tseng said people should rotate between at least two pairs of shoes, wash their shoes and dry them under the sun regularly, and use newspaper to dry them on the inside.
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