Foot Odor
Foot Odor
Maybe you do all of the right things to stay one step ahead of foot odor. You wash your feet regularly with warm, soapy water. You change shoes and socks daily (or even more). But those dogs still smell bad enough to make those around you want to roll over and play dead.
The problem with foot odor is more than skin-deep. Overactive sweat glands trigger the growth of bacteria and fungus, and they trigger that unforgettable odor (and the hasty exit of those around you). The natural remedies in this chapter, used with the approval of your doctor, may help prevent or relieve foot odor, according to some health professionals.
See Your Medical Doctor When... - Your foot odor continues, despite all efforts to control it.
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Aromatherapy
Try the following deodorizing foot wash, from Aromatherapy: Applications and Inhalations by San Francisco herbalist Jeanne Rose, chairperson of the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy: Blend two ounces of water, ten drops of lemon essential oil and the juice of one lemon, then wipe your feet thoroughly.
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.
Food Therapy
Soak your feet in tea, suggests Jerome Z. Litt, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. He says that the tannic acid in tea eliminates the odor. Simply boil a few tea bags in a pint of water for 15 minutes, then pour the hot brew into a basin filled with two quarts of cool water. Dr. Litt recommends soaking for 30 minutes every day for a week.
Homeopathy
In addition to washing your feet daily with antibacterial soap, try one of the following remedies in a 12C potency in the morning and evening until you see improvement, says Chris Meletis, N.D., a naturopathic physician and medicinary director at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon. According to Dr. Meletis, Silicea may help if you have ice-cold, sweaty feet and pain from the instep through the sole of your foot and if your armpits and hands also have an offensive odor. If your symptoms are worse with warmth, and if you tend to have dry and rough skin in places, he suggests trying Graphites. Iodom can help, he says, if you have acrid, sweaty feet and if the symptoms are worse in warm rooms and better with walking around and when feet are aired.
All of these remedies are available in many health food stores. To purchase homeopathic remedies by mail, refer to the resource list on page 637.
See also Sweating Excessively
