[Medical Q&A] Is “athlete’s foot” the same as “athlete’s foot disease”?

Planner: Chinese Medical Association

Reviewer: Gong Weiyan, Associate Researcher, Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

The terms "athlete's foot" and "beriberi" may sound similar, but they refer to completely different health problems.

The professional term for "athlete's foot" is "tinea pedis", a skin disease caused by fungal infection, mainly occurring between the toes and the soles of the feet, manifested as itchy skin, erythema, peeling, etc.; "athlete's foot" is a systemic disease caused by insufficient intake or absorption disorder of vitamin B1. Vitamin B1 is a key substance in the body's material energy metabolism, which can regulate neurophysiological activities, is related to cardiac activity, gastrointestinal motility and the secretion of digestive juices, and can also promote appetite. Lack of vitamin B1 can manifest as neuropathy (such as acroparesis or dysfunction), fatigue, loss of appetite, lower limb edema, etc. The causes of athlete's foot and beriberi are completely different, and the treatment methods are also very different. Antifungal drugs are mainly used to treat athlete's foot, while vitamin B1 supplementation is required to treat beriberi. Foods rich in vitamin B1 include cereals, beans and dried fruits. Animal offal, lean meat and eggs also contain a lot of vitamin B1. Factors such as excessive grain processing, addition of alkali, high temperature, and excessive washing will cause different degrees of loss of vitamin B1 in food.