not wearing sandals in a college shower

[theBruiser500]

I go to college and I don't wear sandals in the shower. At first I didn't even know I was supposed to, then I overheard someone saying how dirty the showers were or how youc an get fungus on your feet so I started wearing sandals. That was a pain and I only did that for a couple weeks, now this year like before I don't wear sandals. I overheard my roomates saying how gross it was to not wear sandals, but I don't really have a problem with it. It's just my feet.

BTW, the point of this thread is not for me decide whether or not I'm going to wear sandals (I've already decided - I'm not going to wear them). Just curious what other people have to say on this.

[ThaSaltCracka]

wear sandals man. I didn't wear sandals for like the first month or two and I got athletes foot really really bad, still have it actually. Believe me, you don't want it either.

[theBruiser500]

I've done this for a couple of months now, no atheletes foot.

[BeerMoney]

[ QUOTE ]
wear sandals man. I didn't wear sandals for like the first month or two and I got athletes foot really really bad, still have it actually. Believe me, you don't want it either.

[/ QUOTE ]

Athlete's Foot is actually kinda fun. Ya get to scratch your feet till they bleed. I don't know, I think its kinda cool.

[theBruiser500]

This reminds me of when I was hiking and whether to use a filter/aquamira/iodine/nothing. Everyone said getting giardia was so bad it just wasn't worth it, use something. Well, the filter was heavy, and the pills made the water taste bad. I was scared of getting sick so I used that stuff for a while then decided "[censored] it" and stopped using anything. I got sick a couple of times but not real bad and it was definitly worth it not worrying about treating my water (not to mention I think I got sick from not washing my hands after going to the bathroom, not hte water). Also, people got giardia even if they did treat their water, so who knows.

[kpux]

I wouldn't worry about it. I'm a junior and haven't really had a problem with anything, and I rarely wear sandals in the shower. College kids aren't as dirty as people think, it's not like kids go into the shower and scrub their hepatitis off their feet and all over the shower.

Just don't lick the floor or anything crazy like that, you'll be fine.

[ThaSaltCracka]

[ QUOTE ]
I've done this for a couple of months now, no atheletes foot.

[/ QUOTE ] yet..... Just so you know, the floor of a public shower is grosser than the waters of the Potomac.

[theBruiser500]

In the potomac I couldn't help but drink a little, I'm not drinking the water off the floor of the shower, only my feet are touching it.

[wayabvpar]

I went barefoot for a year plus in the dorms and never had a problem.

[ThaSaltCracka]

[ QUOTE ]
only my feet are touching it.

[/ QUOTE ] yup, and little fungi spores are slowly lodgeing themselves between your toes. I hope you enjoy. The only advice I can give you if you aren't gonna wear sandals is make sure your feet are totally dry before you put your shoes and socks on.

[Q8offsuit]

Forget abut athlete's foot. One thing you are in danger of getting are plantar warts, which are a viral infection that live in your feet. They suck really bad, believe me, I've had them. Takes about 6-10 very painful freezing/laser sessions to get rid of them and they come back.

This is a very real danger of walking around in showers like this barefoot.

[ThaSaltCracka]

How did I get a fungal infection?

You can get a fungal infection by touching a person who has one. Some kinds of fungi live on damp surfaces, like the floors in public showers or locker rooms. You can easily pick up a fungus there.

http://familydoctor.org/316.xml

[theBruiser500]

Is this for real or are you just trying to scare me? Even if it's a real virus, the odds of me getting it sound quite low. At least that's the impression I get...

[wayabvpar]

[ QUOTE ]
Forget abut athlete's foot. One thing you are in danger of getting are plantar warts, which are a viral infection that live in your feet. They suck really bad, believe me, I've had them. Takes about 6-10 very painful freezing/laser sessions to get rid of them and they come back.

This is a very real danger of walking around in showers like this barefoot.

[/ QUOTE ]

I take back my earlier post- I DID get plantar warts, and they sucked. A LOT. I never made the connection!

[NLSoldier]

Considering there is absolutely no downside to wearing sandals, Id say not wearing them and risking aids and cancer and whatever else these guys are warning you about is a pretty -EV play. Not to mention that your roomates probably piss in the shower and theres usually pubes all over the floor too...

[ThaSaltCracka]

[ QUOTE ]
Not to mention that your roomates probably piss in the shower and theres usually pubes all over the floor too...

[/ QUOTE ] pissing on the floor actually has the effect of killing certain fungi, especially ones that cause athletes foot. If you want to kill athletes foot cheaply, simply just piss on your feet while your in the shower.

[Wake up CALL]

[ QUOTE ]
If you want to kill athletes foot cheaply, simply just piss on your feet while your in the shower.


[/ QUOTE ]

What about the fat people? Does this mean that since they cannot actually see their feet that they become more likely to get Athletes Foot?

[scotnt73]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
If you want to kill athletes foot cheaply, simply just piss on your feet while your in the shower.


[/ QUOTE ]

What about the fat people? Does this mean that since they cannot actually see their feet that they become more likely to get Athletes Foot?

[/ QUOTE ]

no they can just piss on thier leg and let it run down

[ThaSaltCracka]

I seriously thought you were going to say "since they can't even see their penis..." /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[NLSoldier]

[ QUOTE ]

I seriously thought you were going to say "since they can't even see their penis..."

[/ QUOTE ]

This thread is great /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Six_of_One]

You're playing with fire, man. I drank improperly treated water and got sick, as did several others from the group I was in.

The upside was, I lost 15 pounds in the next 2 weeks. The downside was, those 2 weeks really, really sucked.

I'd ditch a lot of other things from my pack before I ditched the water filter (those things weigh like less than a pound, don't they?)

[emp1346]

holy [censored]... i lived in a fraternity for a few years and there is absolutely NO way i'd go without sandals... first of all the floors in general were like walking on velcro, and the shower was worse than anything i'd like to have to use again... even when we'd make the younger guys scrub it and clean it and bleach it and everything-else-in-the-supplies-closet it, we still wore sandals...

have some respect for your feet (and social image for that matter) and just wear some damn sandals...

[theBruiser500]

1 pound and bulky - that's a lot.

[theBruiser500]

Wavybear, are you joking or did you really get those plantar wart thigns?

[Six_of_One]

If the weight bothers you, you can use iodine crystals...They're different from the pills in that they don't make the water taste bad, and the bottle is about the size of a small bottle of aspirin, and hardly weighs anything.

[blackaces13]

[ QUOTE ]
Not to mention that your roomates probably piss in the shower and theres usually pubes all over the floor too...

[/ QUOTE ]

don't forget about the massive dingleberries that just sort of sit in the spaces between the tiles because their inertia prevents the small flow of water from moving them towards the drain (where they wouldn't even fit through the drain holes anyway).

[daryn]

i always said to myself, how could i get athletes foot and this and that? everyone else is wearing sandals.. hahahah...


anyway, yeah i wore sandals. gotta be kinda crazy not to.

[wacki]

Any place that is constantly wet, moist, or humid is prone to fungi growth. The shower can be dangerous because many people use it and the warm moist environment is somewhat friendly to fungis poliferation. Death caused by fungus, directly or indirectly, has not been proven to be a huge problem in America because of the great health care, sanitation, and building codes in this country. However, chronic illness not only is a problem, but is overlooked. Ever heard of sick buildings?

Yet not everyone in this country is lucky, and in other countries people tend to be very unlucky. If you wish, I can post some pictures of what fungus can do to people. But I have to warn you that these pictures are very very graphic. Fungus is extremely difficult to treat systemically, and if it crosses the blood brain barrier there is nothing that can be done to help you. There is also the matter of Stachyobotris and other fungi which produce mycotoxins. Mycotoxins can be very mild as in the case of Aspergillus niger which causes allergies and chronic illness, yet other mycotoxins can be extremely dangerous. Some mycotoxins can kill you, and others cause no symptoms but are extremely cancerous. There have even been papers written that actually claim that mycotoxins (myco meaning fungal) are the primary cause of numerous cancers. Fungus is nothing to be afraid of, as penicillin is actually healthy when your sick, but other molds, especially the black and purple ones should not be taken lightly.


Again, if you wish I can post pictures, but they are very graphic, and some of them are full body nudes, and I would be suprised if Matt Sklansky won't delete them.

It always amazes me how lightly people take disease when it comes to simple precautionary measures, no matter what the statistics say. I constantly hear, "well I've been doing it for a year and haven't been hurt yet." Oh well, I guess that's why HIV is an epidemic.

[wacki]

By the way here is a picture of the common household mold, that I referred to as harmless. The big white thing, is a brain.


http://www.vh.org/adult/provider/pathology/CNSInfDisR2/Text/images/175.jpg

[theBruiser500]

[ QUOTE ]
Any place that is constantly wet, moist, or humid is prone to fungi growth. The shower can be dangerous because many people use it and the warm moist environment is somewhat friendly to fungis poliferation.

[/ QUOTE ]

If this is the case, why don't people have to wear sandals in showers in their home? Besides, even if Daryn is joking, I think he has a very valid point, everyone thinks not using sandals is the grossest thing ever, so who am I going to get athlete's foot from?

[baggins]

i never wore sandals in college. i never got foot fungus in college. i had it before i went to college...

but, id wear sandals if i had to go back. it's not a big deal, and it makes you a whole lot less likely to get fungus. so why DON'T you wear them? it doesn't make any sense not to. unless you're a lazy bastard like I was.

[wacki]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Any place that is constantly wet, moist, or humid is prone to fungi growth. The shower can be dangerous because many people use it and the warm moist environment is somewhat friendly to fungis poliferation.

[/ QUOTE ]

If this is the case, why don't people have to wear sandals in showers in their home? Besides, even if Daryn is joking, I think he has a very valid point, everyone thinks not using sandals is the grossest thing ever, so who am I going to get athlete's foot from?

[/ QUOTE ]


You missing the point. People get sick in dorms because of the crowded living conditions. It's the combination of disease carriers from all over the country collecting together in a small area and then breaking disease barriers. The number one cause for getting antibiotic resistant disease is getting an IV of antibiotics in a hospital. The reason, breaking a barrier (the IV) and packing a large number of disease carriers in a small area (sick people in hospital).

Look, I'm not saying that being barefoot in public showers is life threatening, unless you are immuno compromised, it's not. But it is the best way to get athletes foot. And honestly, IMHO, dipping your feet in a 90 cent bottle of bleach is the best way to get rid of it. The stuff you buy over the counter, some people think it's good, IMO that it's useless. Also, when you start treating everything like some of these people are treating the shower bad things start to happen.

Moldy insulation, food, or ventilation is a whole different story when it comes to safety. All I'm saying is that mold is not something to be taken lightly. Google aflatoxin, mycotoxin, or cancer and mold. People get seriously sick off of mold and even when they are sick, they don't even realize it was mold.

[The Dude]

My senior year in wrestling I would take flip-flops w/ me to every school that I wrestled at for when I took a shower. You had to, because if the ref sees that you have any fungal or skin infection during weigh-ins, they won't let you wrestle.

The one time I forgot them, I got athletes foot. Fortunately, you can't really see athlete's foot the way you can ringworm or staph, so I only had to deal w/ itchy feet for a couple of weeks. But if you think athlete's foot is the only risk you're facing, you're dreaming.

[ThaSaltCracka]

yup, ringworm and staph infections are very common as well.

[wacki]

Not to mention toenail fungus. Ugly, and not easy to cure. In fact, some types currently can't be cured without ripping out the toenail.

[emp1346]

i just don't understand why this is so hard to do? i mean, unless you're utterly and completely lazy, just wear sandals...

whereas there's been many potential dangers from not wearing sandals, there's none if you just put them on...

don't be lazy...

[1800GAMBLER]

shouldn't you be more focused to getting laid than focusing onwhat you wear in a male shower room?

[wacki]

theBruiser500, daryn does have a good point. However, you constantly shed your skin. If I remember correctly, I think you shed your skin every 14 days. If the mold is on the skin, it won't matter if other people are wearing sandals. When they shed it will end up on the floor. Also mold releases spores to travel to other hosts. Some mold actually launch their spores several feet throught the air using catapult like contraptions. Others use wind, or water, to carry the spores. So wearing sandals won't stop you from spreading it to other people, but it will reduce your risk significantly.

Also, everyone claims they don't have an STD, but if you look up the stats of KNOWN cases, Odds are you know several people. Then you have to factor in all of the people that are too embarrassed to go to the doctor. When it comes to disease, never underestimate peoples stupidity or the power of denial. Simple precautionary measures can be annoying, but they are not anywhere near as bad as a difficult to treat/cure disease.

btw, you don't have to wear sandals at home.

[wayabvpar]

[ QUOTE ]
Wavybear, are you joking or did you really get those plantar wart thigns?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not joking. I had 3 plantar warts my freshman year- they hurt like hell. I played basketball constantly, and I had to wear 3 pairs of socks to help cushion my feet. I would gobble 3-4 Tylenol before I played and usually a couple afterward. Taking off my shoes after a long bb session was torturous.

Finally got them frozen off during spring break, which wasn't overly pleasant either.

Plantar warts suck, especially if you are active. They would hardly both my lazy ass now... /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[theBruiser500]

"i just don't understand why this is so hard to do? i mean, unless you're utterly and completely lazy, just wear sandals..."

This is exactly the problem. Thanks for the responses all, and particularly wacki and saltcracka. I guess you've all scared me into using sandals now.

[ThaSaltCracka]

No prob man. Like I said, I got athletes foot really really bad when I was in college and still have it. Its a bitch to get rid of for good.

[wacki]

[ QUOTE ]
No prob man. Like I said, I got athletes foot really really bad when I was in college and still have it. Its a bitch to get rid of for good.

[/ QUOTE ]

ThaSaltCracka, Athletes foot is a pain to get rid of, but it can be done. When I had it I wasted countless months and hundreds of dollars on every over the counter medication you can buy. Nothing worked. Then I bought a 90 cent bottle of bleach. I mixed several cups of bleach with warm, almost hot, water and then soaked my feet in it for a good 10-15 minutes. I pulled my feet out as soon as it started burning. The next day 90-95% of the fungus was gone. The sensitive skin on the top of my foot looked like it had a bad sunburn, but atleast my feet were improving. I kept my feet dry by wearing sandals, changing socks frequently, using antiperspirant on my feet, and a combination of talcum and corn starch baby powder to keep my feet dry. When my feet healed from the bleach, I did it again and whallah! The fungus was gone.

If you have had athletes foot this long you can get rid of it. You can try my method if you want, but since you've had it a very long time I would go to a doctor and get some oral/topical prescription medication to go along with it.

Remember dryness is your friend.

Also, wash your bed sheets frequently with HOT water while you are doing this.

[ThaSaltCracka]

well its weird, I will have it for a day or so, then I put some lamasil on it and it goes away for atleast a month or so. I take my shoes off as much as possible and walk around in either socks or barefoot. It helps a lot and as of right now, I don't have any athletes foot. Probably because last time I had it, I coated my toes in lamasil which caused my toes to dry out hella(almost too much) so I think I may have those bastards on the run.

[Analyst]

A few years ago I got a case of athlete's foot (from the local gym shower, I assume). This infection broke down the skin's protection and paved the way for a secondary, more serious, infection. My foot rapidly swelled up, and it started moving up my leg. The first antibiotics didn't do the trick, and the Doc went to some second-level, more powerful ones. He gave me his pager number - never heard of that before - with instructions to contact him directly in case I didn't see signifcant improvement in 24 hours. Fortunately, these worked, otherwise it would have been an immediate hospital admission and ultra-heavy hitter antibiotics.

Just 65 years ago, it would have been amputation and/or death. /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[sprmario]

HAHAHA... I have some friends who do wear sandals at home because they have a filthy place... I never wore them in college but I lived in a pretty small dorm freshman year and then was in places with smaller bathrooms. Wear the sandals... small price to pay for avoiding some nasty stuff. I had a plantars wart on my foot and it was so deep that they had to carve it out surgically. It sucked.

[ QUOTE ]
If this is the case, why don't people have to wear sandals in showers in their home? Besides, even if Daryn is joking, I think he has a very valid point, everyone thinks not using sandals is the grossest thing ever, so who am I going to get athlete's foot from?

[/ QUOTE ]

[theBruiser500]

" small price to pay for avoiding some nasty stuff"

Side comment... this sort of comment irks me. It's like, I don't really care if the bottom of my foot gets dirty, I don't think it's gross it's just about hygene and staying healthy. When I was in elementary school I didn't shower enough and a teacher told me I should shower more. This woman absolutely obese, I don't see much of a difference in me not showering and her not losing some of her 500 pounds.

Okay here's a plan. In my floor's bathroom/shower room there is a sideroom with a bathtub-shower dealie. First of all, does it introduce any new risks by taking a bath? Anyway, the plan is that since this thing has it's own door I will put a sign up on the door saying "out of order" and it will be my private shower.

[Pirc Defense]

Dude, haven't read all but the first few replies...I played both football and baseball all through high school and a little baseball in college with some funky dudes. Never wore sandals. Never got athlete's foot.

YMMV.

[Porcupine]

Plantar warts do suck. I had a couple of them cut out. The worst was a big one in my heel. The shot through the bottom of my heel sucked pretty bad (painful shot that hurts for about 10 seconds). The big hole in my heel that I had to clean twice a day was no fun either.

The Doctor told me I should be wearing flip flops in the shower to prevent these.

[Ezcheeze]

Not wearing sandals in a college shower is nasty IMO.
-Ezcheeze