Athlete's foot: Home Remedies, Causes and Treatment

Athlete's foot is also known as Tinea pedis. It is a parasitic fungal infection of the epidermis layer of the foot. The condition is typically caused by a mold (in some cases a yeast) that grows firstly on the outer surface of the skin and then gets into the living tissue of the skin and then causes an infection.

Athlete’s foot generally occurs between the toes, but in worse cases, it may appear as an extensive "moccasin" pattern at the bottoms and sides of the feet. The malady will more commonly affect the males as compared to the females. Athlete’s foot is supposed to be the second most common skin disease in the United States, after the pimples or acne. Up to 15% of the U.S. people have this troublesome condition.

Causes of Athlete’s foot

Unhygienic condition
Fungal infection
Foot, being wet for longer period

Home remedies for Athlete’s foot

One should wash the feet daily, or even twice, preferably with a mild soap paying with and extra attention to the area between the toes.

One should wear sandals or flip flops in the shower especially in public places.

Home remedy for athlete’s foot includes soaking the feet in Epsom salts and warm water.

After washing or showering, one should dry the feet very carefully, especially the area between the toes.

One must keep the toenails cut short and straight across.

Dusting an antifungal powder on the feet and into the shoes is good idea. You should choose leather or canvas shoes but never plastic. Just like you, your feet also require to breathe.

One should wear the shoes in rotation; meaning to say that one should not wear the same pair two days running and should not put on shoes those are damp.

As a home remedy for athlete’s feet, one can spray the shoes with a disinfectant and put them out under the sunlight to help kill germs.

Wear cotton socks, or special running socks which absorb sweat, with your trainers when doing sport. Cotton socks are healthier to wear with your everyday shoes as well. Change these socks frequently and always put on clean ones after washing your feet.

Another good home remedy is tea tree oil. It is the most common way natural and most effective way to treat athlete's foot. Tea tree oil has anti-fungal properties, and for best results it is to be applied directly to the affected area thrice a day. The general dose for tea tree oil is 4-10 drops. Treatment with tea tree oil should be continued for at least two weeks even after the infection has disappeared to make sure that it is gone.

To enhance great home remedy for athlete’s foot, tea tree oil can also be used combining with Aloe vera gel. For an ideal therapy, mix about 4 oz of Aloe vera gel with ½ tsp of tea tree oil in a spray bottle and then spray it on the affected area two times a day. The affected area should then be allowed to dry totally before putting on socks and shoes.

One of the best home remedy for athlete’s foot is Grapefruit seeds extract. They are been discovered to have strong anti-fungal effects. The best way to use the extract is to apply a few drops onto the palm and rub it onto the feet twice or thrice a day. Grapefruit seed extract can also be added to the water to wash socks.