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How to Get Rid of Athlete’s Foot

November 21st, 2009 by admin
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1. What is Athlete’s Foot?

athleteAthlete's foot, also called tinea pedis is a fungal infection which most commonly occurs in the feet. The most common fungi that cause this embarrassing condition are called Trichophyton, Epidermophyton floccosum, and Microsporum. These parasitic fungi thrive in dark, warm, moist environments like those found inside our shoes and between our toes.

Athlete’s foot symptoms are typically:

  • Dry, itchy skin
  • Scaling (Hard, white patches of skin that often crack creating the appearance of scales.)
  • Painful inflammation
  • Blisters (Learn how to get rid of blisters)
  • dry blister

2. How is Athlete’s Foot Spread?

Athlete’s foot is spread by contact with materials on which the fungus is present such as floors, footwear and bedding. It can also stay alive on these surfaces for several days. This means you can contract it simply by walking barefoot through a public shower or locker room. Athlete’s foot is not limited to just the feet, either – it can be spread to the groin (a.k.a. jock itch) and underarms so don’t scratch, and if you do touch an infected area, immediately wash your hands. (For more information on jock itch, read The guide to jock itch)

The most common causes of athlete’s foot are:

Sharing socks or shoes with others Since athlete’s foot is a foot fungus, it stands to reason that it can be spread by sharing the footwear of someone who is infected. The insides of shoes and socks are dark, warm, and often moist – optimal growth conditions for this hearty fungus. Using a foot powder in your socks and shoes can help reduce moisture.

Going barefoot in showers and locker rooms Many schools have experienced outbreaks of athlete’s foot due to the fungus being left behind on shower room and locker room floors. If you have to remove your footwear in these areas, thoroughly wash and dry your feet before putting your shoes back on – or better yet, invest in a pair of sandals to keep your feet from contacting these common surfaces in the first place.

Skin on skin contact anti-fungal creamIf you come into direct contact with an infected area of someone else’s body, you will likely contract the fungus. If this happens, immediately wash yourself, and if you want to be extremely careful, apply an anti-fungal cream or spray and keep the area as dry as possible.

3. How to Prevent Athlete’s Foot

There are many ways which you can avoid athlete’s foot:

Wash your feet Wash you feet whenever after have come into contact with any common surface, as well as at least once a day.

foot powder

Keep your feet dry Foot fungus thrives in moist environments, meaning the dryer your feet, the less hospitable they become as a home for athlete’s foot. Dry your feet completely after every shower, paying particular attention to the spaces between your toes. You can also use foot powders to help keep them dry as you go about the day’s business.

Go barefoot around the house The open air will keep your feet dry and inhospitable to foot fungus. Just remember, barefoot outside and around the house is one thing, but a locker room is a whole other ball game.

Choose the right footwear Not all socks and shoes are equal. To keep your feet as dry as you can opt for socks and shoes made out of breathable materials like cotton, wool and some leathers. Any synthetic materials and you are much more likely to sweat and make a happy home for this kind of foot fungus.

Wear sandals sandals These types of open footwear don’t trap moisture. This allows good air circulation and helps to keep the feet much drier throughout the day while still offering protection from potentially infected surfaces.

Never wear the same socks twice Change your socks or pantyhose every day and wash them in hot water between uses. If you have more than one pair of shoes you should try wearing a different pair each day. This will allow the last-used pair to completely dry out before their next use.

4. Getting Rid of Athlete’s Foot

If you prolong getting your foot fungus treated it can spread to your toenails and once it has gotten under there you will have a hard time fighting it off. If this happens, go see your doctor and get a prescription – in rare cases you may even need to get your toenails removed. I don’t have to tell you that this is not the kind of thing you want to go through, ever – so go see your doc!

Treatments for athlete’s foot:

Topical anti-fungal creams, sprays and liquids These are put directly onto the infected skin several times a day. When you choose a product, follow the instructions that come with it. Most topical antifungal solutions contain miconazole, itraconazole, or terbinafine and can take up to 2 months to completely cure the infection, so continue using them for at least a few weeks after your itching and scaling has stopped. Common brands include Lamasil and Lotrimin.

Anti-fungal powders Foot powders are a smart choice for getting your shoes and socks fungus free. Thoroughly apply the powders directly into your shoes and socks making sure you completely cover the inside - including the toes. Powders can also be rubbed directly into the skin, which is a very effective method of treatment as it not only contains a fungicide, but will help keep your skin dry as well. Foot powders can be used in conjunction with foot fungus sprays, creams and liquids. Athlete’s foot treatment powders that you purchase for your foot fungus should contain clotrimazole, itraconazole, or miconazole. Commonly used brands include Lamasil, Lotrimin, CVS, and Gold bond foot powder.

Aluminum acetate drying solutions Burrow’s solution and Domeboro’s solution both contain aluminum acetate and are used in a liquid solution that you soak your feet in. Aluminum acetate will reduce the moisture levels of your feet. Yay.

Home Remedies for Athlete’s Foot

Following are some home remedies that have been passed on to me to cure athlete’s foot naturally. Try them out and see what works for you. If you know of one this isn’t here, please share it using the form at the bottom of this page.
  • Bleach and water soak – Mix a small amount of bleach in a larger quantity of water and soak your feet for 5-10 minutes every day.
  • Topical Tea Tree Oil – Massage diluted tea tree oil into your infected feet, or add a few drops to a foot bath and soak them.
  • tea tree oil mouthwash
  • Soak your feet in mouthwash – Sounds odd, but many people recommend this remedy for foot fungus.
  • Pee on your feet – This may be gross, but human urine contains urea, which is already used in many over-the-counter athlete’s foot remedies. So, if you’re brave, pee on your feet when you shower in the morning or evening and let us know how it works.

5. See your doctor

If your athlete’s foot just won’t go away, you should consult your doctor as he will be able to identify the exact cause and prescribe much stronger medicines for treatment. Do this before it becomes severe.

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    1. beto Says:

      bleach n water for ten minutes for one week bye bye athelestes foot

    2. Betty Says:

      I know this sounds weird, but soak your feet in bleach water and then take a disposable razor and shave away at the infected area. it does not hurt, because the skin is dead and dry. when finished, put rubbing alchol on them and let your feet air dry as much as possible. this really does wrok

    3. Jeannie Says:

      I have had ath foot all my life, until someone told me to pee on my feet, and I did, and guess what, NO MORE ATH. FEET yes it works. so go for it. seems gross and my mom always told me to not pee in the shower, but i wouldn’t have suffered and paid alot of money for oever the counter stuff, if she’s just let me pee in the shower.

    4. Eze.415 Says:

      So I have had athletes foot eversince I went to a public pool when I was 14 it started wit the toe nail on my left foot and quickly spread through out the whole foot and wit all the itchin it spread to my right foot so as a result to myt desperation to get rid of it I decided to take advice from one of my uncles but I didn’t use the right amount so I mix vinegar bleach and alcohol and water I used too much bleach and as a result I felt a burnin sensation due to the too much bleach my advice careful on the bleach its strong stuff but I still have to the foot fungus and due to my failed attempt I have been very skemptical about trying any new methods to gettin rid of it but I’m tired of it so I have tried using product u buy at the store and it seem to do just fine…

    5. R1peaches Says:

      what i did was I went to the beach and let the salt water dry the fungus up.once the fungus was all dry and heald i soak my feet in bleach and water solution. threw away my old shoes and wear lots of open toe shoes.

    6. whatever Says:

      I had a very bad case of athletes foot i got from mma gym, i blame the mats! but either way i tried every athletes foot cream, spray, foot powder, i never peed on my foot, i tried rubbing alchohol, peroxide, nothing did anything, but i tried the vinegar(white and apple cider did the same) and i would soak my foot for 30m to an hour and if i did it for a few days in a row the athletes foot would completely go away, but then would return 3 or 4 days later. i did that for months just to control it

      finally i cured it! i dont know why i tried this, but i took a cap full of scope(was the green kind) and poured it on when i got out of the shower, threw my sock on. before i went to bed, same thing, cap full of scope poured on my foot, put my sock on…literally 3 or 4 days the stuff was gone, but even once gone i did it for about a month putting the scope on, it never came back…so just wanted to share cuz i tried a lot of things and did alot of forum searching, and maybe this will work for you

    7. CHUCKY Says:

      I am 32 years young and i have had this painful fungus since i was 9 years old. The #1 thing to do is DONT SCRATCH YOUR FEET…I’ve had sooo many wonderful sessions when I would scratch the heck out of my feet and it felt sooo good. I’ve done more feet scratching In one day then most DJ’s have done with turntables their entire careers. I’ve only had the very badd fungus on my left foot but after the constant scracthing and sometimes massaging my right foot afterwards without even washing my hands, because it’s in the middle of the night and too tired to run to wash my hands and nails so as a result it spread to the right foot. But with alot of TLC and NOT SCRATCHING, a person with this horrible fungus should be fine….REMEMBER! NO SCRATCHIE SCRATCHIE. Okay people and good luck!

    8. rbeads Says:

      I suffered from athletes feet for years. Even after trying most of the previouse mentioned tips; it occured about every two months One day my very old aunt said,”honey, just pee on your feet once a week.” I have done so for about 15 years (in the shower) and have not had any issues with my feet since!

    9. Anonymous Says:

      When all else fails - Diflucan (Fluconazole) generics are called Forcan or Zocon. I got 20 of them and before I was done taking them I had rid myself of a bad case of jock itch (5 years), minor athletes foot (most my life), and a toe nail condition where my nails were thickening and starting to yellow (1 year). I purchased it because the jock itch was so bad it was affecting my sex life and had from 19-24 years old.
      Google inhousepharmacy it’s where I got my stuff. Inexpensive, the packaging it came in sucked and had a printed label taped to the bottle with only the word “Fluconazole” on it, highlighted pink, but it got results.

    10. Michelle Says:

      Hey, I havn’t herd much about Distilled White Vinegar on this site. It worked very good for my feet when used each day after shower and I’ve been told that it’s very good for your skins balance. Since its safe to eat you know it’s not going to be bad for you.

    11. ROLANDO Says:

      try stepping on dog pup barefooted, it really helped my wife, but the trick is not to wash it off for a few days. it killed all the bacteria, but after a few days they came back, worse than the first time. please help.

    12. Sam Says:

      Spray Lysol on your feet. It kills Athelete’s Foot Fungus. It works.

    13. Sarah Says:

      peeing on your feet helps for a couple days.. But if you want results for more then that you have to do it everyday.

    14. Joe Freeman Says:

      I just tried the bleach bath on my feet. I think I put a litle too much bleach in the water. Now my feet are red and the places that were itching before are now stinging pretty bad. No pain. no gain?

    15. 22yr old female Says:

      ok i need sum help…i have had i guess “atheletes foot” since 5th grade..i got it from a pair of new shoes my mother has bought me! every year it comes back! it doesnt burn it just gets flakey and skin patches! my nails has gottn a little dark from it and sum of my nails are flakey! what could it be? im to embarresed to go to dr! please help!!

    16. Sabrie Says:

      Athletes foot burns will aloe vera gel help? 12 and in pain!!

    17. simple Says:

      use 1/2 teaspoon tumeric powder mixed with a 1/4 teaspoon of aloe vera jell enough of both to make a paste. Put it on the infected area morning and night. I do this and it has kept it from spreading or worsening. If you havnt had atheletes foot for long this might clear it up completely.

    18. Dr Bronte Vannette Says:

      Athlete’s Foot can be cured by changing your socks regularly. Clean, breathable, absorbent socks will keep your feet dry and reduce the risk of foot fungus growth. Foot fungus grows in dark, warm places. Cotton socks are preferable, changing them as often as possible.

      A common cure for Athlete’s Foot is Talcum powder. Absorbent powders like talcum powder are the perfect way to ensure that athlete’s foot doesn’t thrive. Talcum absorbs the moisture you usually retain in your shoes, keeping your feet nice and dry.

      Prevent Athlete’s Foot by keeping your shoes dry. Keeping your shoes clean will make sure you’re not giving fungus the chance to grow during your busy day. Keep them well ventilated after use, occasionally dusting them with an absorbent foot powder.

      You can prevent Athlete’s Foot from spreading by keeping your sheets clean. Foot fungus spreads when pieces of dead skin or residual tissues come into contact with other parts of your body, like the groin or armpit. Clean your bedding regularly.

      Athlete’s Foot can be prevented from spreading by washing your feet daily. Make sure when you’re washing that you get between the toes and under the nails.After showering make sure you dry your feet thoroughly, especially between your toes.

      These are all non-medical ways od curing and preventing athletes foot.
      Hope it helps.

    19. Amanda Says:

      my uncle had horrible foot fungus and i hear from him that mouth wash actually does work. He used the original listerine stuff and it worked wonders. i hear it’s amazing for preventing mosquito bites too.

    20. Karen Says:

      Try washing your feet with soap and water in cool water when rinsed pour rubbing alcohol all over area dont dry feet with towel instad use a hair dryer set on cool and air dry your feet. The alcohol dries up the infection. I learned that the alcohol was one of the main ingredients in a very expensive prescription sold for athletes foot. It really helped me.

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