Athletes foot is a fungal infection that flourishes in moist, warm places. It’s caused by the fungus called Tinea Pedis and is most often found between your toes, on the soles of your feet, toenails or between the fingers. Statistics show that 15% – 25% of people worldwide have at one point in life contracted Athletes foot, and if left untreated it can easily spread on other parts of the body as well.
If you experience white, flaky skin on your foot, redness and an itching, burning sensation it’s possible that you’re suffering from an Athletes foot.
The fungus which causes it most frequently lives around indoors swimming pools, public showers and toilets, gyms and locker rooms and is very contagious. The infection spreads with contact so just touching shoes or socks or some infected area can transfer the fungus to your skin.
Since it’s so contagious the most important thing you should do is prevent it from spreading. If you have contracted the infection be careful not to walk around bare foot in public areas so you can stop other people from contracting it as well. Also be careful not to spread it on other parts of your body, wash your hands carefully after touching the foot and when you get dressed always put on your socks first.
If you don’t have it there are some advice’s you might follow in order to prevent it. When you go to public swimming pools or shower always wear flip flops and thoroughly dry your feet after bathing. Always cut your toenails as short as possible because the fungus can live under toenails and the longer they are the more space the fungus has to thrive.
When you feel you’ve sweated through your socks change them as soon as you can and try to wear organic cotton socks, since they are more absorbent. Don’t wear the same shoes two days in a row if your feet tend to sweat more, leave them a day out so that they can dry out. You can also sprinkle some talk powder or sodium bicarbonate on your shoes to kill potential fungus spores.
We have shared with you the prevention methods, but in case you still have contracted this wretched infection there are two different approaches to this problem. You could go for the over the counter cream and ointments which may be effective in the treatment of this persistent fungus but it’s always better to resort to natural remedies if you have a choice. Luckily for you, there are a few natural homemade remedies which have proven very effective for Athletes foot treatment.
Natural Remedies for How to Get Rid of Athletes Foot
Sodium Bicarbonate – Mix some water with 1tbsp. of sodium bicarbonate to make a thick paste. Rub the paste onto the affected areas and then wash it out. Dry your feet completely and sprinkle some talcum powder to finish it off. Don’t forget to sprinkle some between the toes as well.
Tea Tree Oil – Add about 40 drops of Tea Tree Oil to your foot bath and soak your feet in it for about 10 minutes. Dry off your feet completely and afterwards put a couple of drops of the tea tree oil directly on the infected area. Tea Tree Oil is a very powerful natural remedy which will eliminate the fungus from the severely infected areas and stop them from spreading.
Apple Cider Vinegar and Himalayan Crystal Salt Bath – How to Get Rid of Athletes Foot with Apple Cider Vinegar and Himalayan Salt? Make yourself a feet bath by adding 2 tbsp. of Himalayan Crystal Salt and half a cup of Apple Cider Vinegar into the warm water and soak your feet for a while. You can also soak some cloth in this solution and wipe your feet with it after you’ve showered. This combination creates an overly acidic environment for the fungus and it cannot survive in these conditions.
Yogurt – The regular, plain yogurt is very effective in the treatment of Athletes foot. It contains live acidophilus bacteria which controls this fungus. Just pour some yogurt on the problematic area, leave it on to dry out and then rinse and dry out your feet completely.
Organic Ginger – Ginger is used for the treatment of many fungal infections since it has very powerful anti-fungal properties. Take one ounce of fresh ginger, chop it up and add it to a pot of boiling water Let it simmer for 15-20 minutes and put it aside to cool off. Apply this mixture two times a day on the affected areas. Make sure your feet are clean before the treatment.
Lavender oil – This incredible scented oil is also a strong anti-fungal. You can prepare your own massage oil by mixing a few drops of lavender oil with 1 tsp. of regular vegetable oil and massage the area gently with it every day.
All of these treatments are very effective but they need at least three weeks to do their magic. It’s advisable to continue with the treatment even after you notice the area has cleared up so that you can eradicate the fungus entirely. However, if you don’t notice improvement in your condition it would be wise to consult your doctor because it can evolve into a more serious infection.
Via: GlobalHealingCenter | Readers’sDigest | Ncbi
* You have our permission to reprint this article via creative commons license if you attribute us with a live backlink to this article. – Best Herbal Health
Wow, I had no idea that tea tree oil and lavender oil are such effective treatments for athlete’s foot! Unfortunately, I’ve noticed that I may have athlete’s foot, so I want to treat it as early as possible! Since I already have lavender oil, I’ll try using that first. However, if things don’t get better, I’ll be sure to follow your advice and go to a podiatrist.