Athletes Foot

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Athlete’s Foot

Don’t let the name fool you: Even confirmed couch potatoes aren’t immune to athlete's foot. While the fungus that causes athlete's foot loves warm, damp environments such as locker rooms, it’ll hang out just about anywhere.

Itchy, flaky skin, especially between the toes, is the most common symptom. If left untreated, the fungus can cause the skin to blister and crack and may even spread to other parts of the body.

Athlete’s foot is easier to prevent than it is to treat, so avoid going barefoot at the gym, in hotel rooms and anywhere else that other people’s feet have been. Keep your feet as clean and dry as possible by wearing cotton socks and using an absorbent dusting powder, especially between the toes. And—used with your doctor’s approval—the remedies below may help relieve the symptoms of athlete's foot and perhaps prevent future occurrences of the problem, according to some health professionals.

See Your Medical Doctor When... You notice swelling in your foot or leg and you develop a fever. You notice that pus has accumulated in the blisters or cracks in your skin. Your athlete's foot interferes with normal activity.

Aromatherapy

“tea tree oil is a natural antiseptic and is great for all kinds of infections, including athlete's foot,” says San Francisco herbalist Jeanne Rose, chairperson of the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy and author of Aromatherapy: Applications and Inhalations. She recommends drying the skin thoroughly with a hair dryer after showering, then applying enough undiluted tea tree essential oil to cover the affected area (usually about four to ten drops).

For information on preparing and administering essential oils, including cautions about their use, see page 19. For information on purchasing essential oils, refer to the resource list on page 633.

Ayurveda

“This problem is most common in kapha-pitta people who sweat a lot,” says Vasant Lad, B.A.M.S., M.A.Sc., director of the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (For more information about the doshas of Ayurveda, see “All about Vata, Pitta and Kapha” on page 28.) To treat athlete's foot, he says, first clean the affected area with tea tree oil, which is sold in most health food stores. Then mix 1 teaspoon of aloe vera gel (also available in most health food stores) with ½ teaspoon of turmeric and apply this mixture topically every day, in the morning and before bedtime, he says. If you still have symptoms after two weeks but they’re less severe, Dr. Lad suggests applying the mixture at least once a day for another week. He says you can continue this treatment cycle for as long as necessary. And he adds this word of caution: Turmeric stains, so wear old socks when you’re taking this treatment and keep your socks on in bed to avoid staining your sheets. Any discoloration of the skin should wash off in about two weeks, he says.

Food Therapy

“Put chopped garlic in your socks before bedtime and then wear them overnight,” advises Julian Whitaker, M.D., founder and president of the Whitaker Wellness Center in Newport Beach, California. “Raw garlic is a powerful antibiotic and helps reduce the fungus that causes athlete's foot.” He also recommends that you avoid yeast products such as breads and other baked goods, along with vinegar and alcohol, if you’re prone to athlete's foot. “People with high yeast intakes are more likely to get athlete's foot,” says Dr. Whitaker.

Homeopathy

Wash your feet thoroughly with mild soap and warm water, then apply a Calendula ointment, suggests Maesimund Panos, M.D., a homeopathic physician in Tipp City, Ohio, and co-author with Jane Heimlich of Homeopathic Medicine at Home. Do this in the morning and before bedtime until you notice improvement, she says.

Calendula ointment can be purchased in many health food stores. To purchase homeopathic remedies by mail, refer to the resource list on page 637.