Can athlete's foot..

My son is an athlete and recently like so many athletes

have been dealing with this problem. It started out with

minor itching so he proceeded to use over the counter stuff

for weeks without relief. It got worse and he started itching

in his palms as well. Then we realized after showers or minor

contact with the skin such as rubbbing he would develop

long welts on his arms or chest or neck in some places.

Went to the doctor and now is on oral pills for fungus. Has anyone else experienced athletes foot to this extreme. Been taking the pills now for weeks and these welts are still happening some times . When he scratches his palms it

looks like round lesions under the skin. He is so aggravated

and frustrated with the whole thing. Any suggestions?

It looks like there could be two things are going on here. Welts are caused by allergic or immune reaction. It seems like your son may have an allergy, and the fungus may have lowered the threshold for an allergic reaction, or the fungus itself could be causing the welts.

One thing that might help is to avoid those things that cause welts to develop, such as hot water, harsh soaps, and any type of skin abrasion (including scrubbing). Switch to a castile soap or a cleanser that doesn't contain soap, like Neutrogenia, and also use a very mild shampoo, like baby shampoo. Helpful bacteria live on natural oils in the skin, and these bacteria are what keep fungus from taking over. Harsh soaps, and frequent washing remove the helpful bacteria.