Are you a swimming freak that hunts for an opportunity to get into the pool or a frustrated working man who bears tight fitted closed-toe shoes all day? Don’t find a relation? Well, have a look at your feet! Is there any cut, redness or peeled off skin? If not now, probably at some point, you might have noticed either of these signs. They indicate a sort of fungal attack, commonly called foot fungus or athlete’s foot.
Causes and symptoms
Athlete’s foot is caused by a fungus that prefers moist and warm environment and proliferates to inflame the skin all around the foot including the toe webs and the sole. Can catch the infection either through contaminated surfaces or through direct contact with an infected person.
You are most likely to be a victim of this fungal attack if
- You often visit locker rooms, swimming pools, showers or any other public place barefoot.
- Over friendly to share your personal stuff such as socks, shoes, towels, and handkerchief and so on.
- You have no option but to be in style with those tight-fitted shoes.
- Often forget to ensure that your feet are dry and not sweaty or wet.
An infection from this fungus may sometimes follow a cut or wound on your toes too. But you can easily self-diagnose the concern and take necessary steps before the situation goes unmanageable.
Common symptoms include
- Itching or burning sensation that may sometimes come along blisters that develop between the toes, around the toenails and on the soles.
- Cracking or peeling of the skin on the foot.
- Loosely held toenails that get easily pulled away from the nail bed.
- Discolored (yellowish) and crumbly toenails.
- Curling and thickening of the toenails.
Often, these symptoms are overlooked and the infection goes away on its own. But if your immune system is weak or you are a diabetic person, leaving the concern unaddressed isn’t an option that you should go with. You will not want to land up in an embarrassing situation where you can no longer wear your favorite footwear because you have sores and blisters on your feet!
Don’t be scared! The easiest and the most convenient treatment options are lying right below your nose! All you need to do is explore the rich collection of remedies that is hidden in your kitchen and get relieved from the discomfort even before the fungus feels home on your skin.
How to get rid of foot fungus
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Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is a pool of fatty acids that aren’t liked by fungus! The antifungal properties of lauric acid and caprylic acid make sure that the fungus isn’t having a good time on your feet. Additionally, application of coconut oil softens the nail membranes and nourishes the skin.
Here’s how to go about this remedy
- Melt some coconut oil in a dish.
- When it is warm enough, soak a bandage in it and leave the setting for few minutes.
- Your homemade antifungal bandage is ready! Apply it to the infected area and let it dry.
- You may wear plastic bag or socks while you go to bed.
- Make sure that you replace this bandage every day and the oil reaches the nail bed to fight against the fungus.
Alternatively, You can simply go for coconut oil massage by applying it on the affected areas.
Coconut oil can also be used to get rid off dandruff and dry scalp
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Epsom salt
Be it foot fungus or any other infection, Epsom salt has always been a promising remedy. The natural compounds in the salt help the body to get away with the toxins effectively. So straight away hitting the cause and eliminating the causative agents! This is how Epsom salt works.
To treat foot fungus with Epsom salt, follow these steps
- Take a tub full of water and add two cups of Epsom salt to it.
- Stir well and soak your feet in the tub for a good half an hour.
- Pat dry the feet completely when done.
- Repeat the process every evening until the symptoms vanish completely.
Epsom salt can also be used as home remedy for fungal infection like diaper rash and itchy skin.
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Baking soda
Baking soda is an inexpensive, nontoxic and effective remedy to treat foot fungus and also prevent the returning of the infection. It works by neutralizing the skin’s pH level and draining the moisture off the skin completely. And since both of the conditions are unfavorable for fungus, the infection goes away.
Method to use baking soda for foot fungus
- Take 2 tablespoons of baking soda and add a tablespoon of water to it.
- Mix the ingredients well so as to obtain a uniform paste.
- Apply this paste on the infected areas of your foot with a cotton swab.
- Allow it to settle so that it reaches beneath the nails and other affected sites.
- After about 10-15 minutes, rinse your foot well and pat dry.
- Repeat the process twice a day until your discolored nails get back to their normal texture.
Note : make sure your hands are free from contamination before you prepare for this remedy so that no more microbes are added to your already infected foot.
Need ideas on home remedies for foot corn give a glance.
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Cinnamon oil
Cinnamon oil takes a lead over many of the other home remedies due to its immediate effect, powerful antifungal activity and other additional benefits that it offers such as improved blood circulation. For a condition such as foot fungus or toenail fungus, an active ingredient of Cinnamon oil called Eugenol shows the infecting agents, the door to exit.
How to use
- Take 1% or 100% diluted solution of Cinnamon oil and apply it raw on the affected areas.
- Do not be in a hurry! Give your best to make the oil reach deep enough to kill the fungus.
- Let it dry naturally.
- Follow the process twice a day until the infection goes off completely.
Alternatively,
- Prepare a foot soak by adding Cinnamon oil to your tub.
- Soaking the infected foot twice a week in this solution will accelerate the healing process.
Also looking for home remedies on how to get rid of foot pain check it out.
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Rubbing Alcohol
Who isn’t aware of excellent sterilization properties that alcohol is known for! And infection is nothing but a cycle that revolves around contamination. So why not explore the goodness to free your foot from fungus infection?
Method to get relief
- Wash your foot with warm water thoroughly.
- Use a towel to dry it completely.
- Next, take rubbing alcohol in a tub and allow your feet to soak in the solution for about 20 minutes or so.
- Repeat the process twice a day to get relieved quickly.
Note : Do not go for this remedy if there’s a cut or any sort of wound on your skin as exposure to alcohol might sting.
Garlic is an important ingredient of any Indian recipe. But this is not the only reason why garlic has gained so much attention. Studies have claimed that garlic performs far better than prescription antibiotics when it comes to treating fungal infections. And this property is attributed to its key compound, Allicin.
To treat athlete’s foot with garlic,
- Crush some garlic cloves and transfer them to a cup.
- Add some drops of olive oil to it and blend the mixture well to obtain a uniform paste.
- Now use a cotton plug to apply this paste on the infected skin and nails.
- Wait for 15 minutes and then rinse the paste off with warm soapy water.
- Dry the feet using a soft towel.
- Repeat the process twice daily up to few weeks.
Garlic can also be used as a ear infection home remedy.
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Onion
Onion and fungus are old enemies! And this enmity is attributed to onion’s fab antifungal and antibacterial properties that kill the microbes and do not allow them to revert back further.
Here’s what to do with onion to get relieved from foot fungus
- Cut a medium sized onion and rub the exposed moist area onto the infected feet.
- Let it dry and repeat the procedure in every two hours.
Not just for foot fungus you also try home remedies for cracked heels too.
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Listerine
Listerine followers have witnessed the magical potential of the mouthwash to fight against the infectious agents. And this time, its competent ingredients such as thymol, eucalyptus oil, and salicylate are set to help you get rid of foot fungus and toenail fungus.
how to cure athletes foot with this remedy
- Simply prepare a foot soak by pouring Listerine in a basin or tub.
- Allow your feet to stay in the solution for 15 minutes or so.
- Next, rinse the solution off your foot and pat dry.
Alternatively,
You can go for applying Listerine directly on the affected area using cotton balls.
Note : Your foot may temporarily turn green due to the presence of mint in Listerine. Do not panic! It will disappear in few minutes.
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Tea Tree Oil
Do not confuse Tea tree with the tree whose goodness you enjoy daily with your green or black tea! Go for commercial tea tree oil that has got its effectiveness established in the treatment of inflammation, swelling, itching, irritation, and peeling of skin on the foot. In fact, studies say that 10% tea tree oil cream competes with the potential of prescription cream tolnaftate (1%) when it comes to treatment of foot fungus.
Steps
- Take a cotton swab and soak it in tea tree oil.
- While it is wet, apply it on the affected areas and let your foot dry naturally.
- Repeat the steps twice a day for a week or so to get away with the fungus completely.
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Vinegar or Apple cider vinegar
Forget about the prescription antibiotics and antifungal medications. Let the key ingredients of vinegar deal with the fungus that is troubling your foot.
Follow the process as described to make best out of the antifungal properties of vinegar
- Make 1:3 vinegar-water solution. (You may take 3 cups of water and 1 cup of vinegar.)
- Pour the solution in a basin or a tub that is big enough to let your affected foot submerge in the solution.
- Let your foot soak for 20-25 minutes.
- Finally, rinse your foot thoroughly with water and use a towel to dry it.
- Repeat twice a day for a week or more to eliminate the fungal infection.
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Essential Oil
Essential oil is a good big list of oils that have got their name glued in the list of most effective home remedies. You have countless options to choose your essential from but the best one is to be a bit greedy and mix them all!
Some of the essential oils for treatment of foot fungus are as follows
- Orange oil : Mix equal parts of orange oil and tree tea oil or add few drops of vinegar and alcohol to the orange oil. Apply the solution on affected areas.
- Oregano oil : Take a bowl and add an equal amount of oregano oil and coconut or sweet almond oil. Use a cotton swab to apply this to infected area thrice a day for a week.
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Foot soak
Soak your fungus infected foot in a solution that has antifungal properties is a sure shot remedy. Though it requires time, the amazing results prove that it’s worth paying for.
All you need to do is, prepare the solution and allow your foot to submerge in it. The liquid will penetrate beneath to kill the fungus.
Get relieved from foot fungus here are the top foot soak ideas that you may go for
- Apple Cider Vinegar foot soak – Equal volume of water and vinegar
- Baking soda foot soak – Mix half a cup each of baking soda and Epsom salt and one-fourth cup of hydrogen peroxide (3% is safe) to about 4 cups of warm water and finally pour one-fourth cup of white vinegar and the solution for foot soak is ready.
- Listerine foot soak – Equal parts of Listerine and water
- Corn meal soak –Soak a cup of corn meal in two quarts of water for an hour. Next, submerge your affected foot in this mixture.