Treating Athlete’s Foot Naturally

If you’ve ever experienced a bout of athlete’s foot, you know what an uncomfortable nuisance it is. Symptoms can range from mild itching to burning sensations on the feet and even tissue damage if it is left untreated. The key to getting rid of athlete’s foot is to treat it early on. Don’t ignore it and don’t aggravate it. Believe it or not, athlete’s foot is actually derived from a fungus. That being said, a fungus will thrive in the appropriate conditions. Similarly, it will die if deprived of an ideal habitat, and so it’s all about creating anti-fungal conditions in order to get rid of your case of athlete’s foot.

Conventionally, your doctor will most likely prescribe some sort of medicated powder or gel that you will apply daily with the desired effect being that your athlete’s foot will be cleared within a couple of weeks. In a lot of cases this is an adequate solution and does indeed clear up the problem. However, due to the fact that these over-the-counter medicines are unnatural and manufactured, they can actually have an adverse effect on the body. Manufactured medicines contain chemicals that are often harsh on your skin and the burning sensation that you feel from your athlete’s foot could just be replaced with a different burning feeling, caused by the chemicals. Caution is always advised when considering taking any new medication, especially manufactured ones and especially ones you apply to your skin.

There are many alternatives available to remedy your athlete’s foot. Firstly, you should consider how to upset the ideal conditions for the fungus to grow in. The fungus thrives in warm, damp conditions, hence why it is most commonly found on the feet and groin area. So in order to treat it, it could be as simple as ensuring you wash your feet regularly, wear clean cotton socks and clean shoes that are changed daily. It is also important that you expose your feet to sunlight regularly and avoid having them in closed shoes all the time. Skin needs to breath and this applies to whole body, including your feet. These personal hygiene habits, accompanied by the use of tea tree oil have proven to be very good at clearing up athlete’s foot.

This oil is available in most health shops and is most effective in a pure 100% extract. A thin coating of oil applied directly to the feet every day should clear up the fungus within a couple of weeks. Using this method has the added benefit of assurance that you are using natural ingredients on your skin, so you don’t have to worry about any severe chemical reactions.

Too often people turn to unnatural, manufactured medicines to treat athlete’s foot. Surely it is preferable to simply look at rectifying hygiene issues, throwing out your old running shoes and buying some new socks rather than applying a cream that contains chemicals that may cause damage to your skin. Athlete’s foot can be cured through natural means and you should consider these before resorting to the over-the-counter treatment options.