Give Athlete’s Foot the Boot with Safe and Effective Home Remedies

by Tony Isaacs

Athlete's foot is an infection of the feet caused by a fungus. The affected area is usually red and itchy and the most common symptom is cracked, flaking, peeling skin between the toes. Left untreated, the condition may last for a short or long time and may return again and again. However, there are several effective home and natural remedies that can quickly clear up athlete's foot and prevent it from returning.

One sure-fire home remedy is to use a combination of apple cider vinegar, water, colloidal silver and moisturizer. Soak your feet in one part white vinegar and four parts water for 20-30 minutes. Dry your feet and apply colloidal silver over the entire foot, being sure to get in between the toes. Allow to air dry thoroughly and then apply a good moisturizer, such as the oil found in crushed garlic from the grocery store. Other good choices are tea tree oil, sesame oil and olive oil.

The combination of vinegar and colloidal silver kills the athlete's foot fungus and the moisturizer helps the skin heal. Repeat the procedure twice daily and your athlete's foot should be gone in a matter of days. To prevent future outbreaks of athlete's foot, repeat the above remedy once each week. Note: colloidal silver is optional, but it helps speed the remedy and make it more effective.

Other common remedies are:

* Apply hydrogen peroxide with a cotton swab - especially just after a bath, shower or foot soak. Allow to dry. If you wish, you may follow with an application of apple cider vinegar and then, after your feet have dried, apply one of the moisturizers mention above. Repeat twice daily until all signs of athlete's foot are gone.

* Pour baking soda on the affected feet and between the toes after showers, bathing or foot soaks to help dry the area and eliminate dampness. Powder the area daily until the infection is gone and continue doing so for at least a month.

* After thoroughly washing the feet, dry the feet well with a hair dryer on the high heat setting. Be sure to dry the areas between the toes thoroughly and get as close to the feet as you can without burning. If you dress afterward, use clean dry socks (preferably cotton socks). Do this morning and evening. If you regularly blow dry your feet, you should never have athlete's foot again.

* A wonderful old time remedy is known as "Grandma's Gallberry Root Remedy" - Boil some gallberry roots and soak your feet in the solution after it has cooled enough to prevent scalding. Repeat every day for one week.

* Rub tea tree oil on feet twice a day. Tea tree oil kills the fungus that causes athletes feet. Similarly, sesame oil rubbed over the infected area once or twice a day has been reported to eliminate athlete's foot within a few days.

* Regular tea has been used effectively against athlete's foot. Use a quart of boiling water, add six tea bags and soak your feet in it for 30 to 60 minutes. The tannic acid in tea kills the fungus and soothes the pain and itchy feeling on the skin.

Notes: Be sure to wash all your white socks in water containing bleach. Then wash your other socks and wash or clean your shoes regularly and allow them to dry thoroughly.

Avoid using anti-bacterial soap, which may actually increases the chance of getting athlete's foot by killing the good bacteria and allowing bad bacteria to take over and to accumulate and grow in the shower.

Sources included:

http://askville.amazon.com/heard-vinegar-cure-athletes-foot/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=6746466
https://health.google.com/health/ref/Athlete's+foot
http://www.tbyil.com/http://www.tbyil.com/Athletes_Foot.htm