怎样区分脚气和脚气病
Aug 10, 2022
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Liu Wan
Introduction
Beriberi is a systemic disease caused by vitamin B1 deficiency, whereas “athlete’s foot” (tinea pedis) is a common fungal skin infection. Foot basins and towels should be used separately to prevent transmission to others. If left untreated, tinea pedis may spread to other parts of the body—such as the hands (tinea manuum) or nails (onychomycosis)—and scratching due to pruritus may lead to secondary skin injury.
Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis) is caused by excessive sweating from the eccrine glands in the feet. The sweat secreted by these glands undergoes bacterial and fungal decomposition, producing an unpleasant odor. Poor foot hygiene—especially when wearing non-breathable footwear—leads to profuse sweating. Consuming spicy foods such as chili peppers and garlic can also promote foot perspiration and increase susceptibility to athlete’s foot; transmission may also occur through contact with infected individuals. So, how do we differentiate “athlete’s foot” from “beriberi”?
Distinguishing Athlete’s Foot from Beriberi
Beriberi is a systemic disease resulting from vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency, whereas athlete’s foot is a common dermatological condition caused by fungal infection. To prevent cross-infection, foot basins and towels should be used separately. If left untreated, athlete’s foot may spread to other parts of the body, causing conditions such as tinea manuum (hand fungus) or onychomycosis (nail fungus). Intense pruritus may lead to scratching, which can result in secondary bacterial infection and serious complications. Thus, these two conditions are fundamentally distinct. Moreover, their clinical manifestations differ significantly. Patients with athlete’s foot primarily exhibit cutaneous symptoms, including prominent vesicles, skin ulcers, and even honeycomb-like erosions in the interdigital spaces, lateral margins of the feet, and soles.
Hyperkeratosis and desquamation may also be evident. In contrast, patients with beriberi typically do not present with predominant skin symptoms; instead, they manifest signs of cardiac involvement, such as difficulty walking, paresthesia, chest tightness, dyspnea, and palpitations. Diagnostic approaches also differ: for athlete’s foot, clinicians commonly employ fungal culture, microscopic examination of hyphae, Wood’s lamp examination, and dermoscopy.
In daily life, patients should maintain a positive mindset, actively cooperate with physicians during treatment, take prescribed medications regularly and in correct dosages, and pay close attention to routine self-care—thereby facilitating prompt improvement of their condition. We hope this response proves helpful to you.
