[toc]Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis) though looks less severe initially, but often becomes very stubborn and even takes several weeks to heal completely. Therefore, early intervention is very crucial to prevent it at the first go. The most common approach to treatment is often medical in which antibiotics along with the antifungal creams are prescribed. Even with such a kind of treatment, the condition takes several weeks to heal completely, in addition to being responsible for killing the beneficial bacteria that actually protects the foot from the harmful fungi.
Medications, corticosteroids and drugs suppress the immune system, and thus instead of curing the disease, make the sufferer more susceptible. The best one can do to get rid of such disheartening, stubborn and irritating infections is to follow result-oriented and proven home remedies, a few of such remedies are given below:
10 Excellent Home Remedies For Athlete’s Foot
Personal Hygiene
As with any other type of fungal infection, Athlete’s foot infection can also be effectively prevented and controlled with proper sanitary and hygienic practices. Fungus flourishes actively in moist environment; therefore, the first line of defense against such infections is to keep the body surface, especially the area between your fingers and toes dry and clean.
Clean and dry your shoes as often as possible, and if possible add antifungal powder and then allow them to dry completely before wearing them. If you are prone to Athlete’s foot or already have it, then apart from cleaning your sensitive areas with soap and water twice daily, keep your clothes clean and germ-free by washing them in hot water and dis-infecting them as often as possible.
Comfort Method
After ensuring proper personal hygiene, the next line of defense is to follow a comfort method, which requires slight modification in your routine lifestyle. Go barefoot to a maximum extent if possible, or else ensure proper aeration to your feet by opting sandals. If you are bound to wear shoes and socks, ensure that your socks are made up of cotton and your shoes have pores for aeration, if not, they should also be made up of porous materials like canvas.
In other words, prefer those shoes that breathe and the ones that keep water out and skin dry. To a maximum extent, avoid synthetically made foot wear and shoes. Avoid going barefoot in public places. In case if you happen to visit such places like swimming pools, gymnasiums, parks and other such places, ensure that you have cleaned your feet and applied antifungal powder and that you have not shared towels, socks and shoes, etc. Keep your feet as dry as possible because fungi grow in moist, dark and warm environment.
Take Care Of Your Shoes
If you are not living in a moist environment, then prefer sandals or open-toed shoes and at work remove your shoes during the break hours or resting period at your working desk. Prefer walking barefooted in a neat dry and clean indoor environment, and if you are not sure then avoid it.
Ensure proper sanitization of your shoes as well by frequently and regularly treating them with a better antiseptic, antifungal or antibiotic powder. If possible in spite of treating your shoes regularly, don’t use same shoes again and again, but switch then every alternate day and treat the other pair in dry hot sunlight for at least 3 to 4 hours, while you wear the one that has already been treated.
Use Baking Soda And Cornstarch
Rub baking soda directly to your feet and allow it to dry in air and then remove the soda from your feet. Similarly, sprinkle baking soda into your shoes. Dried brown cornstarch acts like a good absorbent of moisture. Therefore, dry cornstarch on a frying pan until it turns brown; remove and cool it, and then make powder and apply it onto your feet and sprinkle some into your shoes as well.
Garlic
A paste prepared from a mixture of garlic and olive oil can be applied to the affected area of the skin and allowed to stay for 20 to 30 minutes, and then washed with soap and water. After this treatment air dry your feet completely and repeat this procedure several weeks even after the infection has gone. Garlic can also be taken raw on empty stomach or added to your food owing to its exceptional antifungal activities.
Take Cinnamon-Tea Foot Bath
Add three to four cinnamons sticks to about 500ml water and boil slowly at low temperature for a few minutes, and then allow the liquid steep for another 30 minutes. Soak you feet dally for 10 to 15 minutes.
Apply Tea Tree Oil
Tea-tree oil is an excellent home remedy as it cleanses the fungal infections of the foot and toenails. If tea-tree oil is applied to the affected region of the foot two to three times daily continuously for a few weeks it will remove and eradicate the stubborn fungus completely.
Apply Grapefruit Seed Extract
Grapefruit seed extract with its marvelous health supporting benefits and antifungal properties is a powerful home remedy to consider because when it is applied to the affected regions of the skin three to four times in a day for over a few weeks it would definitely give amazing outcomes.
Use Yogurt
Yoghurt is a probiotic, and it is one of the richest sources of acidophilus bacteria. Commercially available good quality yoghurt contains active bacteria as these are very crucial in controlling pathogenic bacteria and fungi of the body like yeast and other fungus like tinea – the causative agents of athlete’s foot. Therefore, you must ensure to include yoghurt in your daily health plan.
Use Vinegar
You can use vinegar extract as a topical solution by directly applying it to the infected regions of your skin, toes and finger nails with a neat and sterile cotton ball. Similarly, add a cup of vinegar to a water tub containing 500 ml of water and mix it properly, and then soak your feet in this tub for 10 to 15 minutes twice daily.
Shortly after bathing your feet, dry them completely with a clean towel and by air drying it with a dryer. To keep your foot free from the fungus, always keep it dry and healthy and follow the above mentioned home remedies for Athlete’s foot.
