Certain types of fungi may also live on the surface of skin, especially in the moist areas of the body. In certain types of illness, such as diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis, fungus may attack living tissues. Fungus is found in a wide variety of forms causing many different conditions.
Athlete’s foot is a form of ringworm of the feet. It is particularly common in warmer climates, and in individuals whose feet are constantly wet because of excessive sweating. When the disease is present over long periods of time, the toenails may become thickened.
The condition is highly contagious, and is often contracted by contact with infected skin particles in a warm room, shower, around public swimming pools or other similar public areas.
If repeated fungal infections are developed, it might be a sign of fungus in the groin area in these cases the problem should be treated simultaneously. Symptoms are: burning sensation between toes, itching, redness, scaling, blistering.
Sometimes people who have taken antibioticscontract athlete's foot. The antibiotics can compromise the immune system by killing the good bacteria with the bad, leaving the person susceptible to infection. Without the good bacteria, the intestines can't synthesize the B vitamins, which help enhance the immune system.
In chronic athlete’s foot, the skin of the sides and sole of the foot is pink and scaly and there is no itchiness.
- Bath the feet thoroughly twice daily, dry them well, and rub away the loosened dead skin.
- Wear light, airy shoes, especially during warm weather.
- For severe infections use hot foot soaks of potassium permanganate solution. Dissolve one 5-grain tablet in a quart of warm water and soak the feet for twenty minutes tow or three times a day.
- Put 40 drops of tea tree oil to a small amount of water and soak your feet in it for 10 minutes after dry feet with a towel to ensure that there is no moister is present this is important because the fungus may flourish under a toe nail that has not been completely dried. Place a few drops of oil on the area. This is one of the useful home remedies for athlete foot.
- People with chronic or recurring athlete's foot should avoid excessive consumption of yeast products such as breads and other baked goods, as well as vinegar, and alcohol.
- Take fresh garlic slices and put it in your shoes, wear it all day.
- Soak feet in very warm water with about one part white vinegar to four parts water, for 20 - 30 minutes, 2 times a day, until the fungus is no longer visible and irritating.
- Add 1 teaspoon of aloe Vera gel with 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric. Apply this mixture to the feet every morning and night and cover them with old socks.
- Wear cotton socks, and change your socks daily.
- Don't wear tight, closed-toe shoes. Moisture and heat cause athlete's foot fungus to thrive.
- Don't go barefoot in public places. Wear flip-flops.
- Use a foot powder to keep feet dry. Simple cornstarch makes a good foot dusting powder.
- Wash socks in the hot water setting of a washing machine.
- Drink pau d'arco tea and soak your feet in a more concentrated form about 10 tea bags.
- Rub diluted alcohol on the affected area and let it to be dry.
- Another good home remedy for athlete foot is to prepare a solution of two tablespoons up to half a cup of laundry bleach to a gallon of warm water and soak your feet for 10-15 minutes twice a day. This should clear up athlete's foot in a week or ten days.
- Wash the feet in a mild solution of boric acid.
- Mix six tablespoons of dried chaparral to one quart of boiling cheap whiskey or wine; reduce and simmer for 20 minutes; remove and steep for 8 hours. Soak your feet in this solution.
- Boil 4 cups of water, add 8-10 broken sticks of cinnamon, reduce heat to low and simmer for five minutes; remove and steep, covered, for 45 minutes. Use as a footbath. Cinnamon effectively combats both yeast and fungal infections. This is another very effective home remedy.
- Boil a cup of water, add one ounce of chopped fresh ginger, and simmer for twenty minutes. Let it cool and apply to your feet twice a day.
- Make an herbal tea footbath of goldenseal and thyme, or a half and half mixture of thyme and chamomile teas. Soak once a day.
- Make a solution by adding 100 drops of grape fruit seed extract in two ounces of water and apply to the affected areas with a cotton ball two or three times a day. This is one of the best home remedies for athlete foot.
- Raw honey rubbed on the infected areas before bedtime and left overnight has also been found to be effective. Cover the feet with an old sock.
- Rub juice from Jewelweed, also known as impatiens or touch-me-not, on the infected area.
- Prepare a mixture by adding 1 tablespoon of neem oil with 1/2 cup of a carrier oil, such as olive or almond, and apply to the affected area twice a day.
- Onion Juice is very effective and easy to prepare home remedy. Apply onion juice twice daily.
- Prepare a mixture of two teaspoons of salt to a pint of warm water. Soak your feet for 10-15 minutes and dry thoroughly. This is one of the important home remedies for athlete foot.
- Apply Vicks vapourub on the affected toes and fingers at night before going to bed.
Reference:
Milam, Larry J., D.I.HOM, Allergies: How to Avoid Them, 2000.
Ullman, Dana, Discovering Homeopathy, North Atlantic Books, 1988, 1991.
Materia Medica, B. Jain Publishers, Pahargani, New Deli, 1992.
Hass, MD, Dr. Elson M., Staying Healthy with Nutrition, Celestial Arts Pub., 1992.
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