The Healing Powers of Epsom Salt

Epsom salt is a traditional remedy that has been used for many centuries. Many cultures have their own uses for this versatile salt. It is said to have many benefits in many aspects of life. They are useful both around the house, the garden, as well as in the body. The best part about Epsom salts is that they are inexpensive and many businesses sell them in bulk. If you are looking for a cleansing detox, taking a bath with Epsom salts will provide you with many health benefits.

The salts get their name from a saline spring which is in the city of Epsom in Surrey, England. Epsom salts are different from other types of salts because they are made of a compound of sulfate and magnesium that occurs naturally. The use of these minerals in your body can work to provide you with a refreshing detox.

Both sulfate and magnesium are easily absorbed by your skin. They then enter your blood stream. Every day, your body absorbs vitamins through your skin while releasing toxins inside and outside of your body. Epsom salts help to aid this bodily process through a function that is often referred to as reverse osmosis. The salts will help remove toxins from your body while pumping their natural minerals into your body. Magnesium is essential for overall health and has the ability to help 325 different types of enzymes function the way they should.

These enzymes have many functions including improving your circulation, helping your nervous system function, keeping your muscles healthy and helping to reduce inflammation. Sulfates are equally important minerals because they help your body keep your joints, nervous tissue and skin very healthy. Since Epsom salts are such a rich source of these minerals, they are a fantastic way to ensure that your body has the right amount of both magnesium and sulfate. When you have healthy levels of magnesium and sulfate, your body will be able to remove toxins from your body quickly and with ease.

People who regularly use Epsom salts will see an improvement of a variety of health issues. These issues include fungal infections like athlete’s foot as well as injuries like sprains and sore muscles. People who suffer from diseases or injuries that cause chronic pain use Epsom salts to help them remove toxins and alleviate inflammation in their bodies while promoting a healthy balance of minerals.

You should not use these salts if you are currently pregnant, have serious open flesh wounds or you are severely dehydrated. You should also ask your doctor before using Epsom salts if you have any kind of cardiovascular disease.

Taking an Epsom salt bath is very easy. You will need to allow yourself forty minutes to soak in the bath. The first twenty minutes will be spent removing toxins and the last twenty minutes are spent absorbing the minerals from the salt in the water.

You begin by filling up your bathtub with warm, filtered water. Then you will add the Epsom salts to the water. If you are bathing a child under 60 pounds, you will add only ½ of a cup of Epsom salts to the bath.

If you weigh between 60 and 100 pounds, you will add a full cup of salts. If you weight between 100 and 150 pounds, you will add 1.5 cups of salts. You will continue to add an extra ½ cup of salt for every 50 pounds that you add. You might also try to add some olive oil to the bath as this will have many benefits for your skin. Olive oil provides antioxidants that are beneficial to your health. Some people also add cayenne pepper or ginger which will help aid detoxification in your body.

You should never use soap when you are taking an Epsom salt bath because the soap may interfere with the whole process. After the bath, try to relax for a few hours. Although if you have arthritis, you should stay active after the bath to stop congestion building up in your joints.

Natural Cures for Athlete’s Foot

Athlete’s foot is an uncomfortable, embarrassing fungal infection that is not only quite painful but also highly contagious. Many people who have athlete’s foot suffer from a redness and itchiness in between their toes as well as on other parts of their feet. The symptoms of athlete’s foot include dry skin, blisters, irritation and serious discomfort. You usually catch this type of infection when you come into contact with fungus, usually by walking barefoot on wet floors in pools and gyms.

There are actually three different types of the athlete’s foot infection. You may suffer from a type called moccasin, which usually presents itself with extremely dry skin. You might also experience the vesicular type of the infection which usually occurs when a person has an allergy to fungus. This type is very painful and can cause foot ulcers and blisters. This is the most severe type of athlete’s foot and it can occur all over the feet.

Athlete’s foot is very contagious and it is easily spread through wet, warm areas like pools, gyms and even nail salons. People who are older or who have had the infection before are more likely to suffer from athlete’s foot, compared to people who have never had it. However, this type of infection is very common and some surveys suggest that almost 70% of the population will suffer from athlete’s foot to some degree at some point in their life.

Athlete’s foot is hard to prevent and equally hard to treat. However, there is a variety of different natural methods that you can consider when you are trying to get rid of athlete’s foot. The following list includes simple suggestions for both treating and preventing fungal infections:

• Try soaking each foot in warm water with cinnamon. All you need to do is boil some water in a kettle and then toss in a couple of cinnamon sticks. Not only will it help remove stubborn infections but it is also a nice treat for your feet.
• You should take care of your feet by wearing good shoes. Your shoes should let air in so that moisture does not build up on the inside of your shoes.
• Improving your immune system’s function is the key to good general health. Try taking vitamins or eating foods that work to help your immune system function efficiently.
• Use baking soda to help dry up wetness in your shoes.
• Some studies say that consuming garlic will not only prevent recurring fungal infections but it will also help your body heal faster. You can either choose to eat garlic or you may choose to put it right on your skin alongside some olive oil.
• Try using a lemon water rinse on your feet to help remove infections.
• Using powder on your feet is a common preventative measure to help protect your feet against fungal infections.
• Exercise will help improve your overall health but it will also improve your circulation in places like your feet. By improving your circulation, you will become more aware of your feet when you have feet problems. This will help you treat them in time for infections to heal quickly.
• Cornstarch is a great natural method that you can use for drying your feet. To use it effectively, brown it in a frying pan first and then use it on the infected area daily for a few weeks. Make sure to use the cornstarch even if you think the infection has healed.
• Tea tree oil is a very common natural treatment for athlete’s foot. It is said to have anti-fungal properties that work to help relieve infections without causing damage to your skin. This method may take several weeks to work before the infections totally disappear.
• Dampen a cloth with some Clorox and then use it to clean your feet. Bleach is a common method used for killing bacteria. Be careful when using this method because bleach is a very harsh chemical.
• Consider good hygiene. Do not share your shoes or socks with other people, especially at the gym. You should always wear shoes in public areas where there is often a build up of bacteria. These areas include pools and locker rooms.
• You might consider using vinegar on your feet. Use two parts water for each part of vinegar so that you do not accidentally burn your skin. In the event that the vinegar irritates your skin, avoid using this particular remedy.
• Baby oil can help rehydrate your skin by soothing dry and flaky areas of your skin. Apply the oil to your feet each night for at least couple of weeks.
• You can always try an over-the-counter treatment. You will have a variety of options including creams, powders, or foot sprays. If nothing seems to be working you should consult your doctor, who may prescribe a prescription anti-fungal or antibiotic.

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.

Athlete’s Foot

They say your ears start to burn when someone’s talking about you. They say that if you don’t like to stay in one place then you have itchy feet. So what if you can feel the burning and the itching, but both occur on your feet? What does that mean? That people are talking about your restless nature? Perhaps. But a more likely explanation of this discomfort is that you have a case of athlete’s foot. Now I know what you’re thinking, “That can’t be right, I haven’t played any sport in years. Must be something else”. The truth is, anyone can develop athlete’s foot, it is not exclusively for the keen sportsmen and women among us.

Athlete’s foot is a condition derived from a fungus. You might find that hard to believe, but a quick science lesson on trichophyton will tell you that yes, it is a fungus that thrives in warm and moist conditions, hence why it is prominent between toes and around the groin area. Given the right conditions it will grow, and continue to grow until the conditions are improved and made less favourable.

Symptoms can vary from mild to severe, and you might not experience, or notice them at first. From itching, stinging and burning of the feet, to blisters that can develop into sores if neglected.

It is fair to say that athlete’s fFoot is a condition that is very much in the patient’s own hands as well as on their feet. If treated early enough, you can avoid complications that would result in a trip to your doctor.

Because it is a fungus, it will attack the body in weak areas, so if you protect these areas then you can rid yourself of the condition. The key is in proper preparation and proper hygiene. Simple stuff. Clean and dry socks and shoes, and change them regularly. Be sure to choose breathable materials when buying socks and shoes. It’s all about creating a comfortable environment for you and your body, and an unsuitable environment for the fungus.

Of course, there are some medicated foot powders and anti-fungal creams on the market which, if used correctly, will clear up your athlete’s foot. These may take up to 1-2 weeks to take effect, however, and of course you have to be careful that the product is suitable for you body and won’t do more harm than good.

In extreme circumstances, where the patient’s condition has worsened, perhaps due to it being ignored or handled inappropriately, then a course of antibiotics may be required. This however, can all be avoided. Our feet are one of the most neglected parts of our body, which seems wrong considering we use them so much and depend on them for so much in our lives. Without fully functioning feet our lives are very restricted. It’s simple. Pay attention to your feet, treat them well and they will serve you well for the rest of your life.