Tinea Manuum: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment - Verywell Health
Tinea manuum is a contagious fungal infection on the hands. When the same type of fungus affects the feet, it is called athlete's foot, or tinea pedis.
Tinea manuum is rare and usually occurs when you also have athlete's foot. This is usually because the infection can spread from the feet to the hands.
This article will cover tinea manuum symptoms, causes, treatment, and prevention techniques.
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Tinea Manuum Symptoms
Tinea manuum is an itchy hand rash that is caused by a fungal infection. The symptoms include:
- Itchy fingers and hands
- Redness
- Flaky or peeling skin
- Ring-shaped rash
The infection can occur on one or both hands but usually only develops on one hand.
When the rash is on the back of the hand, the rash usually appears as scaly red, itchy circles. When the rash is on the palm, it appears as dry, scaly skin.
Tinea manuum symptoms start four to 14 days after contact with the infectious fungi.
Causes
Tinea manuum is caused by fungi called dermatophytes. These germs live on dead skin, hair, and nail tissues.
Tinea manuum is passed from person to person through direct contact or from contact with an item that is carrying the fungi like clothing.
These fungi thrive in warm, wet areas. Therefore, they are more abundant in showers, pool surfaces, locker rooms, and damp clothing.
Since the fungus that causes tinea manuum can also cause an infection on other parts of the body, it is not uncommon for someone to first develop athlete's foot and then get tinea manuum. Since people tend to scratch their itchy athlete's foot rash, they can transfer the fungus to their hands.
Diagnosis
Tinea manuum can usually be diagnosed by its appearance and a person's health history. But because tinea manuum can look like other rashes, a healthcare provider or dermatologist will need to rule out the possibility that the rash is not dry skin, psoriasis, or contact dermatitis.
A healthcare provider might use KOH testing (potassium hydroxide solution), which uses small scrapes of skin to look under a microscope to determine if the rash is indeed tinea manuum.
Your healthcare provider may also send off a fungal culture to a lab to test for the fungus.
Related: How is Ringworm Diagnosed
Risk Factors
The risk factors for developing tinea manuum are:
- Having a jock itch, ringworm, or athlete's foot infection
- Having a weakened immune system
- Using public showers or pools
- Experiencing excessive sweating
The main complications of tinea manuum are developing a secondary bacterial infection and spreading the fungal infection to other areas of the body.
Treatment
The first step in treating tinea manuum is keeping the skin clean and dry. The fungi thrive in warm, wet conditions, so keeping the hands dry is very important.
There are several over-the-counter (OTC) antifungal creams that can treat tinea manuum. Look for creams that contain one of the following medications:
- Lamisil (terbinafine)
- Nizoral (ketoconazole)
- Lotrimin (clotrimazole)
- Micatin (miconazole)
A healthcare provider can prescribe stronger antifungal creams and if necessary an oral medication.
Make sure to use OTC and prescription medications as indicated on the package label or by your provider or pharmacist. Stopping too soon can cause the fungal infection to grow back.
Prevention
Tinea manuum is a contagious fungal infection. It is easy to catch and to spread to other people. While it may not be possible to completely avoid an infection, these prevention techniques can help someone avoid it as best they can:
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- Dry hands after washing.
- Wash hands after touching a rash on another area of the body.
- Cut nails short and keep them clean.
- Don't share clothes or towels with someone who has ringworm, athlete's foot, jock itch, or tinea manuum.
Pets also can have ringworm. Take them to a veterinarian if ringworm is suspected. Make sure to wash your hands and dry them after touching a pet.
When someone spreads athlete's foot to their hand, it's also referred to as two-feet one-hand syndrome. This is because the athlete's foot is generally on both feet but then only spread to one hand.
Summary
Athlete's foot is a very contagious, itchy fungal infection. When someone scratches their feet, they are at a higher risk of developing the same infection on their hands. This is because they are moving the fungi from their feet to their hands. When the athlete's foot rash is spread to one or both hands, it's called tinea manuum.
The rash can be mistaken for dry skin, psoriasis, or contact dermatitis, a form of eczema. A healthcare provider can diagnose the rash based on its appearance or with a KOH test. Treatment can be done with OTC creams or prescription medication.
A Word From Verywell
It's important to prevent spreading athlete's foot to your hands. If you do have athlete's foot, make sure to thoroughly wash and dry your hands after touching your feet. If you know someone who has a fungal skin infection, don't share clothes or towels. If you suspect that you do have tinea manuum reach out to a healthcare provider for a definitive diagnosis and treatment plan.
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