Getting athlete’s foot is easy because this type of skin infection is highly contagious. You can acquire the fungus that causes it in places such as health clubs, indoor swimming pools, fitness gyms, and shower and locker rooms. Getting it is also highly possible if you put on the socks, shoes and slippers of a person suffering from this nasty and smelly fungal infection.
Otherwise known as “tinea pedis” or “ringworm of the foot”, athlete’s foot shows up as white and scaly patches on areas such as the top of the feet, spaces between the toes and even on toenails. It causes your feet to be always sweaty and smelling terrible. Symptoms include itchiness as well as burning and stinging sensation.
Knowing how this fungal infection goes from person to person makes it easier for you to protect yourself against it. In case you get infected, fret not. Below are some all-natural and highly effective athlete’s foot remedies.
- Before bedtime, place crushed garlic cloves between your toes and put on socks. Let this cheap and effective antifungal solution work overnight. It’s also possible for you to consume lots of garlic or take garlic capsules.
- Keeping the affected areas always dry is important to prevent the worsening of the infection as well as to keep bad odor at bay. Prior to putting on your socks, sprinkle some baking soda or corn starch on your feet.
- For 10 minutes, soak your feet in a foot bath with 40 drops of tea tree oil. This essential oil has antifungal properties, killing the root cause of your skin infection.
- If tea tree oil is not available, add 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons of Himalayan crystal salt to your foot bath. The acidic environment of the resulting mixture is something that the fungus cannot thrive in.
- Adding oregano tea to your foot bath is another tried-and-tested effective solution. It’s a good idea to soak your feet in the mixture for 10 minutes 2 to 3 times daily until the fungal infection has noticeably subsided.
- Ginger is an herb known to posses impressive antifungal properties. Chop ginger and add it to a cup of boiling water. Allow it to simmer for 20 minutes, let cool to room temperature, and apply twice a day with a cotton ball.
- Ozonated olive oil may be applied on clean and dry feet to kill off the fungi in just less than a week. Antioxidants in olive oil help promote healing of the skin so you can be free of anything that can remind you of that fungal nightmare.
- In case you cannot get your hands on ozonated olive oil, use sesame oil or virgin coconut oil instead.
- Another type of oil that can do wonders to your fungal infection is neem oil.
- Colloidal silver is an antifungal, making it a highly effective remedy against athlete’s foot.
