Cures for Athlete’s Foot

Athlete's foot or tinea pedis can be a very painful and embarrassing condition. The good news is, it is entirely curable as well. There are several remedies that can effectively produce results in the least amount of time possible. Some methods may also take longer depending on the severity of the infection and response of the patient. Here are some known cures for athlete's foot.

There are several cheap and effective ways to eliminate athlete's foot right in the comforts of your own home. Tea tree oil is a natural and proven remedy that removes athlete's foot and maintains the feet's condition to keep it protected for the long term. Simply put a small amount on your finger then apply it on the affected areas of the foot. You may want to dilute tea tree oil with water or other oils like vegetable oils to reduce the stinging effect.

Vinegar is another helpful agent that helps eliminate fungus and remove the foul odor emitted from mold and yeast. Apple cider vinegar or white distilled vinegar with 5% acetic acid is ideal. Take a cotton ball, put some vinegar on it and do a simple rub down on your feet. Apply twice every day during morning and at night. You should continue doing a rub down for weeks even after the symptoms have disappeared in order to make sure that the fungus doesn't come back. Another approach would be to soak your feet in a basin of water with 1/2 cup vinegar and 2 tablespoons of salt. You can soak once or twice a day.

A useful and effective combination would be aspirin and alcohol. Mix 5 tablets of aspirin into half a cup of rubbing alcohol and wait for the tablets to completely dissolve. Use a cotton ball to rub the mixture on your feet. Aspirin easily soaks into the skin because of the alcohol quickly killing fungus and drying up the areas to keep them from proliferating again. Scaling and bad odor will disappear with a few days. Ideal application would be before wearing your shoes in the morning and after taking them off at night.

Another foot bath alternative includes adding 1/4 cup of chlorine in a basin of water. The water should be as warm as you can tolerate. Soak your feet for 10 to 15 minutes in the foot bath but watch out for any unusual reactions like soreness or extreme itchiness. Should any untoward effects occur, immediately remove your feet from the bath then rub down with a towel. This type of bath is most useful when athlete's foot is just in its early stages as evidenced by white skin tone on the feet.

You may also dissolve salt in warm water then soak your feet in a basin for 10 to 15 minutes. This can be painful especially during advanced stages wherein the skin is cracked or have open sores. Regular foot baths will help improve your condition steadily.

Corn starch helps very well in preventing moisture buildup that causes itchiness and foul odor. You simply have to apply some on your feet as well as on your shoes and socks before wearing. Bicarbonate of soda does the same thing and you can also apply it in the same way on your shoes, feet and socks. Yogurt also works well so continue eating it for two weeks after symptoms are gone to maximize wellness since it contains good bacteria helpful in healing and tissue repair.