Athlete’s foot is an itchy, parasitic fungal infection of the skin of your foot, usually between the toes, which causes scaling, flaking, itching and cracking of the skin. It is typically caused by a mold (but in some cases a yeast) that grows on the surface of the skin and then gets into the cracks between the toes. Although the malady more commonly affects males than females, it’s estimated to be the second most common skin disease in the United States, after acne. The fungus thrives in warm, damp environments, such as the locker rooms, health clubs, public showers and indoor swimming pools.

Prevention of athlete’s foot can be achieved in many ways and should be practiced especially in public places. The first place to start prevention is to use a antibacterial and anti-fungal soap such as GymSoap. Always wear shower shoes or sandals in locker rooms or public showers and baths. Be sure you wash your feet with soap and dry thoroughly especially between your toes.

Some of the personal prevention measures you can take include wearing well-ventilated shoes, wear cotton or moisture wicking polyester socks, use foot powder, change shoes every day and replace old sneakers. These are just a few of the ways to prevent or keep your athlete’s foot in check

Natural treatments are my favorite way to prevent and cure athlete’s foot. Here are some that I’ve used or heard about working:

White Vinegar-Make a solution of one part of vinegar and four parts of lukewarm water. Soak the infected foot in that solution for half an hour twice daily.

Tea tree oil-After you have soaked your feet in the vinegar water, rub tea tree oil on your toes and wherever you have athletes foot.

Aloe Vera-I find that this worked about as well as anything I tried. Make sure your feet are dry and massage it into the affected areas. It will stop the itching also.

Hydrogen Peroxide-Apply with a Q-Tip or cotton swab after washing or soaking your feet. Allow to dry. If you wish, you may follow with an application of apple cider vinegar.

Eucalyptus oil-apply a few drops to the affected areas two to three times daily. It will kill the fungi and relieve the itching.

Tea-Fill a large bowl with a quart of boiling water and add six tea bags. Soak your feet for up to an hour. The tannic acid in tea kills some of the fungus and is soothing for painful, itchy feet.

Baking soda-Using baking soda as a powder on your feet and between your toes after you shower and dry your feet and toes thoroughly is helpful.

Household bleach-Wash your socks and towel with bleach in the water. Wipe out your shoes with a bleach water mixture and let dry, then spray well with Lysol and let dry. Also use Lysol on the tub, shower, and foot tub. Do not dry - spray till wet and let air dry.

Corn starch-is effective in soaking moisture, so keep your toes and fee dry by sprinkling corn starch on them.

Garlic-Either crush or blend a couple cloves of garlic. Then rub it into the skin where you have athlete’s foot. It will take 2 to 3 days to heal all of the dry dead skin but works great.

Boric acid-Sprinkled in your socks will prevent athlete’s foot, especially if you’ve had infections before. Don’t use this to treat the problem though.

Hair dryer-Athlete’s foot thrives in moist and your hair dryer can aid in the drying the feet after bathing or between baths if you feet become moist.

Epsom salts-Some podiatrists recommend soaking the feet in a solution of Epsom salts in warm water.

Yogurt-To help ease the symptoms, you can put plain yogurt on the affected area as often as you want. A small amount of yogurt will surely soothe itchiness and redness.

Alcohol and Aspirin-Dissolve about 5 aspirin in 1/2 cup of rubbing alcohol and rub over your feet after showering or bathing, the aspirin will soak into the skin due to the alcohol mixture.

Antiperspirant/deodorant-regularly apply stick antiperspirant/deodorant to the feet, especially between the toes.

Vicks Vapor Rub-has also been touted as cure. Rub it between your toes or other affected area.

Listerine-applied to the infected area is said to cure athlete’s foot also.

The next time you or someone you know has athlete’s foot try some of these remedies instead of spending your hard earned money on OTC or even prescription drugs that don’t work as well. Some of these natural cures I’ve never tried but they sound like they would work. Many of them have been used for years so someone you know probably has some information on them. Even if they don’t work they won’t harm your health if you use them as suggested. If you think they might be a problem don’t try them.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athlete’s

http://www.myhomeremedies.com/topic.cgi?topicid=18%26amp;page=4

Are your feet itching and burning? Maybe you have Athlete’s Foot. Athlete’s foot is an infection of the upper layers of the skin and is predominantly found on the foot. It is often seen as an dry, itching, burning, scaling redness of the feet especially in the webbing of the toes. When left unchecked, sufferers may notice that their skin peels frequently and in extreme cases there may be cracking, pain and bleeding of the skin.

While commonly associated with the foot, athlete’s foot can also give rise to skin disorders such as jock-itch. It is caused by the overgrowth of certain types of fungus, including trichophyton, the ringworm fungus or the tinea pedis fungus, each of which can be easily transmitted from one person to the other upon contact. This contagious condition thrives in warm, moist environments and without the proper growing conditions; it will not survive at all.

Athlete’s foot is often transmitted when we walk around barefoot at public pools or in public showers, in locker or changing rooms, in home bathrooms, especially in the shower. It can also thrive in individuals who’s feet sweat excessively, who wear the same shoes without allowing them to fully dry out or when the feet are not dried thoroughly before covering them. Interestingly, this disorder is seen more often in teenagers and adult males.

In health circles, it is generally believed that prevention is the best course of action to take. If however, you do end up with a case of athlete’s foot, there are a number of natural and alternative health remedies you can employ.

Recommendations For Wellness

Avoid all yeast containing foods: yeast breads, fermented beverages (beer, wine, brandy, scotch, etc.) moldy cheeses, fermented vinegars, salad dressing, peanuts, biscuits, canned citrus fruit juices, cake mix, ice cream, all dried fruit, oranges, pickles, tomato sauce, sugars, yeast powder, processed and smoked meats, malt products, barbecue sauce, olives, mayonnaise, and chili peppers.

Avoid sugar (especially hidden sugars such as those found in soft drinks, pastries, canned fruits and vegetables), artificial sweeteners, and all refined carbohydrates.

Supplementation with a probiotic such as acidophilus can help to restore the good bacteria in the body and help protect you from infection.

If you are at the gym or at a public pool, wear sandals in the locker room, in the shower and in the pool area.

Wear cotton socks and if your feet tend to sweat, change them often, making sure you dry your feet well before putting on a fresh pair.

Sprinkle baking soda on your feet before putting your socks on to help absorb moisture.

When the weather is hot and humid, go barefoot or in sandals whenever possible.

Be sure to air your shoes out at night to allow any moisture in them to evaporate. If possible don’t wear the same pair of shoes every day.

A tincture of black walnut can be applied directly to the affected areas of the feet and toes to help kill the fungus.

Lemon balm, rosemary or a mixture of lavender oil and tea tree oil can be used externally to help eradicate the infection.

Herbs such as goldenseal, pau d’ arco, olive leaf extract or garlic can be taken internally to help heal the infection. They can also be applied externally the affected areas or by soaking the feet in a herbal bath made from these substances.

Some experts recommend adding grapefruit seed extract to your wash, especially when you are cleaning your socks, gym clothes, bath mat or towels.

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Athlete’s foot is an itchy, parasitic fungal infection of the skin of your foot, usually between the toes, which causes scaling, flaking, itching and cracking of the skin. It is typically caused by a mold (but in some cases a yeast) that grows on the surface of the skin and then gets into the cracks between the toes. Although the malady more commonly affects males than females, it’s estimated to be the second most common skin disease in the United States, after acne. The fungus thrives in warm, damp environments, such as the locker rooms, health clubs, public showers and indoor swimming pools.

Prevention of athlete’s foot can be achieved in many ways and should be practiced especially in public places. The first place to start prevention is to use a antibacterial and anti-fungal soap such as GymSoap. Always wear shower shoes or sandals in locker rooms or public showers and baths. Be sure you wash your feet with soap and dry thoroughly especially between your toes.

Some of the personal prevention measures you can take include wearing well-ventilated shoes, wear cotton or moisture wicking polyester socks, use foot powder, change shoes every day and replace old sneakers. These are just a few of the ways to prevent or keep your athlete’s foot in check

Natural treatments are my favorite way to prevent and cure athlete’s foot. Here are some that I’ve used or heard about working:

White Vinegar-Make a solution of one part of vinegar and four parts of lukewarm water. Soak the infected foot in that solution for half an hour twice daily.

Tea tree oil-After you have soaked your feet in the vinegar water, rub tea tree oil on your toes and wherever you have athletes foot.

Aloe Vera-I find that this worked about as well as anything I tried. Make sure your feet are dry and massage it into the affected areas. It will stop the itching also.

Hydrogen Peroxide-Apply with a Q-Tip or cotton swab after washing or soaking your feet. Allow to dry. If you wish, you may follow with an application of apple cider vinegar.

Eucalyptus oil-apply a few drops to the affected areas two to three times daily. It will kill the fungi and relieve the itching.

Tea-Fill a large bowl with a quart of boiling water and add six tea bags. Soak your feet for up to an hour. The tannic acid in tea kills some of the fungus and is soothing for painful, itchy feet.

Baking soda-Using baking soda as a powder on your feet and between your toes after you shower and dry your feet and toes thoroughly is helpful.

Household bleach-Wash your socks and towel with bleach in the water. Wipe out your shoes with a bleach water mixture and let dry, then spray well with Lysol and let dry. Also use Lysol on the tub, shower, and foot tub. Do not dry - spray till wet and let air dry.

Corn starch-is effective in soaking moisture, so keep your toes and fee dry by sprinkling corn starch on them.

Garlic-Either crush or blend a couple cloves of garlic. Then rub it into the skin where you have athlete’s foot. It will take 2 to 3 days to heal all of the dry dead skin but works great.

Boric acid-Sprinkled in your socks will prevent athlete’s foot, especially if you’ve had infections before. Don’t use this to treat the problem though.

Hair dryer-Athlete’s foot thrives in moist and your hair dryer can aid in the drying the feet after bathing or between baths if you feet become moist.

Epsom salts-Some podiatrists recommend soaking the feet in a solution of Epsom salts in warm water.

Yogurt-To help ease the symptoms, you can put plain yogurt on the affected area as often as you want. A small amount of yogurt will surely soothe itchiness and redness.

Alcohol and Aspirin-Dissolve about 5 aspirin in 1/2 cup of rubbing alcohol and rub over your feet after showering or bathing, the aspirin will soak into the skin due to the alcohol mixture.

Antiperspirant/deodorant-regularly apply stick antiperspirant/deodorant to the feet, especially between the toes.

Vicks Vapor Rub-has also been touted as cure. Rub it between your toes or other affected area.

Listerine-applied to the infected area is said to cure athlete’s foot also.

The next time you or someone you know has athlete’s foot try some of these remedies instead of spending your hard earned money on OTC or even prescription drugs that don’t work as well. Some of these natural cures I’ve never tried but they sound like they would work. Many of them have been used for years so someone you know probably has some information on them. Even if they don’t work they won’t harm your health if you use them as suggested. If you think they might be a problem don’t try them.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athlete’s

http://www.myhomeremedies.com/topic.cgi?topicid=18%26amp;page=4