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Dear Betsy, I HAVE athlete's foot and have tried unsuccessfully to treat it with prescribed medication. Can you suggest any natural remedies?
KB
Dear KB,
Yes, this can be difficult to treat. It is not just a matter of using the medication as it can spread very easily and you need to take certain precautions to ensure you don't get it all over again.
Athlete's foot thrives in warm damp conditions, so keep our feet clean and dry and use a foot powder as part of your daily routine.Clean socks made from a natural fibre such as pure cotton or silk will help and you should never wear shoes or trainers without socks.
Walking around barefoot should be avoided. Try to wear open sandals as much as you can to let your feet breathe and assist in healing. Buy some pure essential oil of tea tree, make sure it is pure unadulterated and not mixed with anything else.
Keep an inexpensive plastic bowl to use as a footbath and put five drops of tea tree oil and a half cup of full fat milk into a basin of warm water and soak for 12 to 15 minutes.
Remove your foot and dry well, preferably with paper tissues, as you do not want to use a towel as it can help spread the fungus.
Dry well, then dry again, and throw the tissues away immediately
Take a cotton bud and soak it in tea tree and apply this directly to the affected area.
Leave to dry and either wear clean socks and put your shoes on, or wear open sandals if possible. Repeat this twice a day, morning and evening and within a few days you will see a positive change.
It is very important that you do not use a public swimming pool or sauna or health club facilities as you could pass the athlete's foot on to others in this way.
Similarly, if you are using a gym or any changing room facility or shower, then keep those flip flops on, even in the shower, and do not pad around in your bare feet.
Even once it has gone, keep up good foot hygiene and be particular about where you put your feet!
