Natural Ways To Treat Athlete's Foot

Athlete's foot which also goes with the name tinea pedis is an eruption on the skin characterized by the formation of itchy small vesicles with cracking and scaling on the hands and feet, especially between the toes. This is a fungal infection and highly common among athletes which where it got its name. This occurs when the fungus grows on your feet. You may become infected directly by having a contact with an infected person or by exposing your feet to a surface possibly infected by the fungus.
This is not something someone should be really worried about for it is not a serious condition. But not attending to this problem may lead to complications. An infected person might also experience stinging and burning between the toes, having blisters on the foot, cracking and peeling off of the skin on the foot.

What can I do with it?

1. Always keep your feet and toes clean and dry.

2. Wear clean and dry socks and shoes.

3. Avoid wearing the same socks over and over again.

4. Don't wear other's slippers, sneakers, socks, and shoes. All the same, don't let others wear your footwear.

4. Don't go barefoot in the bathroom. Wear your own slippers in public bathrooms.

5. For infected persons, expose your footwears under the sun for one hour daily for one week.


Water Treatments Using Herbal Decoctions

1. Indian Guduchi foot bath

-Chop one-foot long portion of this plant and boil in water for 15 minutes. Soak the infected foot in the hot decoction for a couple of minutes. Rub between the toes to remove the dead skin cells. Keep the foot soaked after this for about 10 minutes. Do this for at least twice a day or until the result satisfies you.

2. Garden balsam

-Chop the flowers of this plant. Apply on the infected part after a hot bath in the Indian Guduchi foot bath.

3. Acapulco leaves

-The Acapulco leaves contain an acid that acts as a fungicide which makes this plant a good remedy for fungal infections. Just crush the young leaves of this plant and extract the juice. Lather the juice directly on the infected area after the hot foot bath.

Written by Kristine Ang, Lucis Philippines contributor.