Natural Health

Athlete’s Foot

This highly contagious fungal infection thrives in warm moist conditions such as in swimming pool and gym changing rooms.

It affects the skin between and underneath the toes, causing it to become white, spongy, itchy and cracked.

The infection is difficult to clear completely, especially in people with sweaty feet.

Sufferers can bene­fit from wearing leather shoes and woollen or cotton socks which let the skin breathe.

Dietary Advice To Avoid Athlete’s Foot

Athlete’s foot may strike when your immune system is weakened, for example after taking antibiotics. Enhance your immunity by eating lots of brightly colored fruit and vegetables, and by adding garlic to meals. Supplementing a poor diet with extra zinc and vitamin C may also help to fight the infection.

Complimentary Natural Remedies For Athlete’s Foot

Tea tree, manuka, lemon and lemongrass oils have all at times helped with athlete’s foot, depending on the severity of the complaint. Make a mixture of 10 drops tea tree, 10 drops manuka and 4 drops lemon. Apply a small amount of this on the end of a cotton wool bud to all the affected areas, and using clean cotton wool, apply to non-infected areas. This whole procedure should use up no more than 4 drops of the mixture per foot. Use for no longer than 2 weeks. On no account soak the feet, as this will only exacerbate the problem.

Calendula cream can help to soothe itching and heal cracked skin. Applying neat tincture of myrrh twice a day may also help if the skin is not cracked. Live yogurt is a traditional folk remedy said to work wonders for fungal infections and can also soothe itchy skin. Apply it between the toes when you have time to take off your shoes and let your feet breathe for a while.

The herbal tincture echinacea is an excellent general immune system enhancer. Small regular doses of it may improve your resistance to re-infection.

Recommended Ready Made Natural Remedies For Athlete’s Foot

• Itch Dr (Herbal)
  Natural herbal cream to soothe symptoms of itching and irritated skin and to treat and relieve fungal infections like Athlete’s Foot and thrush
• Candidate (Herbal)
  Natural remedy to help maintain normal levels of systemic candida & balanced probiotic flora in the body