Athlete's Foot Home Remedies - How to Get Rid of Athletes Foot

Athlete's foot is an infection of the feet caused by fungus. Symptoms include itching, burning and cracked, scaly skin between your toes. The fungus lives on dead skin, hair and toenails and thrives and multiplies in warm, moist environments (for example between your toes), leading to infection. The infection is called athlete's foot because it is easily spread in changing rooms and communal showers, shared by athletes, sports people and swimmers. However, anyone can develop the infection if their feet come into contact with tiny flakes of skin from another infected person. Athlete's foot usually affects the spaces between your toes, but it can spread to your toenails and the soles and sides of your feet. Often, athlete's foot responds well to over-the-counter (nonprescription) treatments you can apply to your skin. More severe cases may require prescription medications. Also called tinea pedis, ringworm of the foot and dermatophytosis, athlete's foot is closely related to other fungal skin conditions, most with similar names. Tinea is a type of fungus, and "pedis" is the Latin word for "foot."

Athletes foot is a term that is used to describe a condition in which fungal infection takes place on the foot. The fungus that can be held responsible for causing athletes foot is called dermatophytes. It is recognisable by a red, itchy rash, which usually starts between the fourth and fifth toe. This can become sore, cracked and scaly or moist, white and peeling. In medical term, athletes' foot is known as Tines pedis. Many people will develop it at least once in their lives. Athlete's foot occurs mostly among teenage and adult males. Athlete's foot is uncommon in women and children under the age of 12. Athlete's foot should not be ignored it can be easily treated, but it also can be very resistant to treatment. Moisture, sweating and lack of proper ventilation of the feet present the perfect setting for the fungus of athlete's foot to grow.

Home Remedies for Athlete's Foot

• In between sunbaths, keep the feet well aired by wearing loose-fitting socks.
• Soak the affected (and surrounding) areas in antiseptic mouthwash such as Listerine. Use the original kind (the medicine one). Immediately relieves the itching and burning symptoms.
• Apply some baking soda between your toe fingers. Wash your feet after 15 minutes.
• To avoid reinfecting yourself with athlete's foot, soak your socks and pantyhose in white vinegar. Also wipe out your shoes with vinegar.
• Cornstarch is beneficial in treating Athletes Foot. Sprinkle some cornstarch on and between your toe fingers.
• The fungus that causes athlete's foot dies in natural sunlight. So, spend two weeks barefoot in the Bahamas. If that's a bit impractical, then for one hour a day, expose your feet to sunlight. It might eliminate a mild case of athlete's foot.
• Take some tea tree oil and rub it between your toe fingers. It serves as an excellent home remedy for Athletes Foot, owing to its ant fungal properties.
• At night, apply rubbing alcohol (it stings for a couple of seconds), then wait until your feet are completely dry and sprinkle them with talcum powder (the unscented kind is preferable).