Athlete's Foot is a foot condition in which the skin of the foot is invaded by a rouge ringworm fungus known as trichophyton. The fancy pants medical community calls athlete's foot tinea pedis, not that it makes it any less painful.

While many people battle athlete's foot at one point or another, the skin condition can leave you in pain and with foot irritation so bad that you can hardly imagine anything worse. Athlete's foot typically attacks the soles of the feet resulting in burning, stinging and itching. Yep, it feels a bit like your feet are on fire!

Generally, athlete's foot attacks the area in between your toes. It can also get into your toenail bed. And here's the worse part, if you can't control yourself and find yourself scratching your foot and then scratch another part of your body, well, guess what, can transfer the invasion from your feet to those areas.

No, it is not simply a condition of athletes. This foot condition doesn't care who you are, athlete or not, this fungus can move in on anyone.

The bugs of athlete's foot love the damp dark places. Well that sounds a little evil, doesn't it? But the truth is that the athlete's foot fungus thrives in places like a dark, moist gym locker floor or shower or the wet deck area around the swimming pool or even in your favorite gym shoes ... well just think about how dark and damp those little puppies can be!

Athlete's foot is easily transmitted from person to person by basic contact. But as bad as that sounds, remember that without the proper growing environment, this little ringworm fungus is a dead worm! Not the right environment, well no growing can happen.

Athlete's foot fungus can cause the affected skin to flake, crack, blister and peel. It can also cause you intense pain and itching.

This little beast of a foot condition can be especially frustrating since it can be tough to completely eliminate. Treatment can be long and it has to be consistently performed.

So if you want to avoid the bane of many a summer's existence, stay away from the perfect storm of moist warm environments that can breed athlete's foot like none other.

So if you have itchy, burning, stinging feet then consider that perhaps you have athlete's foot. If that is the case, then get on with the treatment and stick to it so that you have the best shot at kicking it!