Beriberi is a very common skin disease.
Although it is very common, it is not pleasant to have an attack. The feet peel, itch and stink … Even if you can’t see them when you put on your shoes, you will feel vexed.
How did you get beriberi? Can hotel slippers be contagious? How to prevent beriberi?
For these problems, dermatologist Dr. Chen Yulan has something to say.
Speaking of beriberi, I have to talk about the story of Lao Wang. Lao Wang had a mishap some time ago. After coming back, my feet began to itch. When I picked up my feet and looked closely, I found that the dead skin on my heel became thicker and desquamated. In the middle, there were several small red pimples and peeled off the skin between my toes. Lao Wang felt that he might have beriberi, so he took time to look at it in a nearby hospital. The doctor said that the problem was not serious and he prescribed some ointment. Lao Wang was relieved.
However, Lao Wang still has some doubts in his heart-
How did beriberi come from?
The scientific name of beriberi is tinea pedis, which is the most common superficial fungal infection of skin, mostly caused by Trichophyton rubrum.
Trichophyton rubrum does not have high requirements for living environment, and is basically [happy with the situation]. It is widely distributed all over the world and attached to various daily necessities. Shoes and socks that have the most contact with feet are the daily necessities that most often carry Trichophyton rubrum.
A tinea pedis patient wears public slippers barefoot, and the slippers are often contaminated with tinea bacteria. If the slippers are not disinfected and are worn by a second person, then the second person may be infected with beriberi.
This is also why in families where slippers are mixed, one person often gets sick and the whole family’s feet itch.
Can hotel slippers infect beriberi?
Lao Wang thought, when he was on a business trip, he wore the rubber slippers provided by the hotel to take a bath. Who didn’t wear slippers barefoot? May this be the infection?
Well, although the probability is not large, it is still possible, so it is best to bring slippers when traveling.
However, many hotels no longer provide public rubber slippers, but instead disposable non-woven slippers, which avoids the spread of beriberi and is worth promoting.
The hotel’s swimming pool will also have a shallow pool containing disinfectant, which will eliminate poison and reduce risks before officially entering the swimming pool.
When going out, try to choose such standard hotels and swimming pools, so you don’t have to worry about beriberi infection.
Can beriberi be cured?
Beriberi recurs over and over again. Is this disease incurable?
In fact, Trichophyton rubrum, which causes tinea pedis, is not difficult to kill, but is too easy to grow and reproduce, and hardly chooses the environment at all.
They can adhere to wood, textiles and even the surface of bare ceramic bathtubs, and can survive for a while wherever they go, so that these bacteria are widely distributed all over the world and become the common secret of people all over the world.
The treatment of tinea pedis is very simple in most cases, and the core is three words: antifungal.
How to use the medicine and how long to use it should be analyzed by dermatologists according to the specific situation.
However, if you are cured this time, there is no guarantee that you will not be infected next time, just like the common cold. If you are cured this time, there is no guarantee that you will not catch a cold in the future, so prevention and protection are equally important.
There are still some things we can do to prevent recurrence. For example:
Develop good hygiene habits, bathe and wash feet frequently;
Shoes and socks are often washed and basked in, or clothes disinfectant is added for cleaning.
Don’t mix slippers at home and try not to wear public slippers when going out.
Bathtubs and bathtubs should be cleaned regularly. Bathrooms should be ventilated and not too humid.
If tinea pedis is found, treat it in time and do not give it the chance to spread.