Getting rid of Athlete's foot... any ideas?
343383
The clinical name for athletes foot is "ringworm of the feet"\n\n"Athlete's foot is caused by a fungus that thrives in warm, moist conditions and the closed shoes present a good 'incubator' for these organisms, That's why athlete's foot is quite uncommon in primitive cultures where shoes are not worn.\n\nWhenever you take off or put on your socks, it's a good practice to rub a sock up and down your toe webs, That keeps the areas between your toes dry, which is essential in preventing and treating athlete's foot.\n\nBaking soda is a cheaper alternative to expensive foot powders, yet it does essentially the same thing. Either sprinkle it on dry or make a paste by moistening one tablespoon of baking soda with lukewarm water.  Rub the mixture on your feet and between your toes. After about 15 minutes, rinse it off and dry thoroughly.\n\nUse your hair dryer on your feet to dry them more effectively than you can with a towel.  And blowing air from your hair dryer into your shoes is a good way to dry them out after you wear them.\n\nRubbing or spraying antiperspirant on your feet can keep them from sweating, You can use the same brand you use on your underarms. As long as it contains aluminum chlorohydrate, the active drying ingredient, it will work.\n\nDisinfect your shoes, Lysol and other household disinfectants can kill off any living fungus spores. After you take off your shoes, rub the insides with a cloth or paper towel that has a dab of disinfectant. (Then use that hair dryer to dry out the insides of the shoes).\n\nDon't use creams. Antifungal creams have the right ingredients but the wrong way of presenting them. "The problem with creams is that they help trap moisture, especially between toes. Solutions are much better than creams.  While solutions are more effective for remedying, creams can be used to help prevent athlete's foot.\n\nRemove dead skin. When your condition starts to improve, remove any dead skin. Dead skin houses fungus that can reinfect you. To remove it, use a bristled scrub brush on the entire foot and a baby bottle "nipple brush" on toe webs. And brush in the shower, so the dead skin goes down the drain without touching other parts of your body.\n\nI hope this information helps you...  Good luck!!
874782
A pumice stone works wonders - you can buy them at any grocery or pharmacy store for about 2 -3 dollars.  It's just a porous rock that you scrub your feet with and it takes off all the dead skin.
436240
What season?? Do you play sports in that particular season?? Are you prone to dehydration?? Are you hydrated enough?? Are you allergic to anything in general??\nMore info please for us to help you......\n\nFor now.  There is something called Bag Balm.  It's really for cows udders, yes I said that..but is used by gardener's and florists all over the country.  It's nothing gross but oils and salves made for things that get really dry and crusty.  You can also try something call Res-Q-ointment from Burt's Bees in a tiny tin.  The stuff is great for cuts and wounds and dry infected skin.  Because you could if nothing else is going on like dehydration, have a bacterial infection like athlete's foot.  It can affect other areas of your body not just the feet.  If you play sports are exposed to dirty socks and other clothes that harbor mold and moisture because of heat and sweat, jock strap, socks, undies etc...then you could possibly have spread the bacteria to your hands.  Check out your feet, in between your toes.  \nAnd what the woman below suggested also works, did for my aunt.  Put a heavy lotion or salve on your hands and then wear gloves to bed.  It should help.  If you wash your hands a lot, esp. in winter, it will cause this.  You're removing the oils and so naturally the skin chafes.  Try remoisturizing each time.
634657
You have to make sure your shower, bath mat, shoes and socks have been treated/washed as well. They carry the bacteria so even if you are treating your feet, if you are still showering or using the infected surfaces (bath mat, shower, shoes etc) then the fungus wont go away. If you have cleaned everything and you still cant get rid of the fungus, id go to a doctor just to make sure it really is athletes foot and not something else.
90990
Foot spas and foot scrubs. If stubborn and hard use salicylic acid :-)
716093
what I do is I put baking soda on it and then I put the cleats next to a fan and let the powder get off that way. for the remaining powder left on the shoe the next day just wipe it off.\n\nanother solution is to wear the cleats for a whole day before the game and you can also stuff lots of paper in the shoe to widen it a bit.
776903
There are many different fungal infections that involve the skin, and the one that causes Athlete's foot is a bit different from the ones that usually affect the underarms and scalp.   So far as an herbal remedy, there isn't one that really works- at least not as fast or as well as the commercially prepared medications.  There are a few other choices aside from Lotrimin you can also use.   arclotrimazole (eg Canesten), miconazole (eg Daktarin) and terbinafine (eg Lamisil will all work on fungal infections.  There are also generic versions of these, just ask the pharmacist.\n  As you describe a rather extensive area of infection, I would suggest you might want to visit the doctor for a body cream/shampoo which can be applied all over, all at once.  Since your scalp is involved, the creams might prove a trick to use.  Also, you need to treat other places/things that have also been exposed to the fungal infection and can reinfect you.  All of your shoes, for instance, need to be well powdered.  Your socks and underclothing need a wash in the hottest water you can wash them in, and dried in a nice hot dryer.  Your bath mats, towels, washclothes, hats, etc, all need washing in hot water.  Things that can't take hot water wash can be dampened and microwaved.  It's no point treating you if you don't eliminate all the possible sources to reinfect yourself.  If you use a public locker room, consider investing in a cheap pair of shower shoes, and never let your bare feet or any other bare part of you, touch common places - like the floor or the seats.  Dry yourself very well and apply a body powder to absorb any moisture, so you don't provide a friendly spot for any stray fungus spores to grow in.\n  Your bathroom needs a good deep cleaning, with a disinfectant as well.  All the bath rugs, the mat in the tub/shower, and the shower curtain will all need the hot wash.  You need to do this because the bath is a nice spot for them to hang out in, and if you've had it for very long- rest assured there are some in there.\n  If the over the counter treatments don't work, or if they cause you to rash- you will have to visit the doctor. There are some fungal infections out there that just don't respond to the mediations sold without prescriptions.  The doctor will take a scraping of skin and identify exactly which one you have, and provide the medication for it.  Good luck, what ever you choose.  And remember, get all the sources besides just treating yourself- or it will come back again.
450739
Athletes foot is caused by a fungus so once u kill the fungus it will be gone but u also have to treat all the shoes and socks that were worn while it was active.
210009
get rid of the shoes that caused them!\ndepending on the case, there r some steps that u might find helpeful:\n- if its big, old and ugly there's a special cream that kinda peals off the corn or more like burns it u can find it in the drug stores.\n- if its new and small and sore and red..soak ur feet for 15 minutes then carefully take a loafah or whatever -nothing too rough pls- and start scrubbing it off but gently.\n- u can try slicing a small tiny slice of tomato and putting it on it and put on it plasters just for a day or 2.\n- also if its new and hurts.. use a special jelly taht soothes the pain and hopefully gets it away, scholl is the best.\nhope this works!
895294
Try a lotion you can probably get from most pharmacies called Zim's Crack Creme.  It's a horrible name, but it works really well.  You might also want to treat yourself to a pedicure that includes a parafin wax treatment.  Exfoliate your feet with a pumice stone, lotion your feet at least twice daily, and wear cotton socks to bed after you've lotioned.  Also try to lotion after you bathe, as your skin will be softer and it will be easier to absorb moisture.  Lotions with tea tree extracts are great for feet too.  Pamper them- they do all the work all the time.  They're worth it. :)
1023279
get some lamisil cream over the counter at Meijer or Walmart...it is like a disease like athlete's foot that makes it do that...the stuff works.
534279
Soak your foot in hot water, that will help your pores open and it will be easier to remove, and less painful. Get a needle--sterilize it first, or use a tweezers if ya can.
262348
Been there and done that. I sympathize with you.\n\nFor a temporary fix, you need to get sport tape and tape up your arches. You must hold your foot so that it is in a normal standing position while you're taping. Do not let your feet into a relaxed position while taping, or you won't be able to stand up when you're done. Start taping on the top of your foot behind but near the widest part of your foot, right behind the toes. Continue taping, slightly diagonally as far back as is practical. The downside of this is that you've got to peel that tape back off at the end of the day. And that is NOT fun--talk about a STRANGE feeling as you pull it off the bottom of the foot. But at least this should get you through temporarily.\n\nFor a permanent solution, you will need to see a podiatrist and obtain orthotics for your shoes. These are tailor-made inserts, molded exactly to fit your foot. They are rather expensive (mine were about $350 about seven years ago), but many health insurance policies cover them. Even if they don't, believe me they are worth the cost.\n\nIf you have plantar faciitis in both feet, expect it to take at least a year of wearing the orthotics to completely heal. (You'll see marked improvement much sooner than that, though.)\n\nOne major no-no for those who have plantar faciitis--NEVER go barefoot or wear shoes without good arch support. That lets the arch drop again.
373507
It will get worse, much worse.  My track coach had me do a trick that helped a ton.  Take your shoes and socks off and sit in a sandbox at a playground.  Then extend your feet in front of you and stick them in the soft sand.  Then try and squeeze your feet so you are trying to curl your toes to your heel.  Do a few sets of 15 - 20 of this every day if you can.  It made my shin splints go completely away.
115368
I have finally resolved my 3 year heel pain with 1 1/2" sports tape. I put a 10" strip under my arch and wrap over the top of my foot. Don't pull on the tape, just wrap it. Use during sleep also. I have spent lots of money and the answer is tape. I haven't used it long enough to know if I will heal, but life seems normal again. I couldn't wait to tell someone, I hope this helps a lot of people with plantar faciitis and other foot pain.
85141
If its on your feet, the best way to remove it is to use a pumus stone. Wet it, scrub your feet with it. Takes it off after a short while. You can buy them in any drug store or WalMart in the nail care section. Do not cut callus off with a knife or razor blade.\n\nDr. Scholls makes a callus removal liquid that you can buy at the drugstore:\nhttp://www.scholl-footcare.com/uk/footcare/fixing_your_feet/callus.asp
891694
Athlete's foot or tinea pedis is a fungal infection of the skin of the foot, usually between the toes, caused by parasitic fungi\n\nThe infection is often treated with topical antifungal agents such as miconazole, itraconazole, terbinafine and a keratolytic such as salicylic acid. Topical agents only clear the infection about 30% of the time and provide mycologic cures (absence of organisms) less than 15% of the time. The time line for cure may be long, often 45 days or longer. However, because the itching associated with the infection subsides quickly, patients may not complete the courses of therapy prescribed. Washing socks, underwear and bed clothes at 60C or 140F will also help prevent any reinfection.\n\nSome topical applications such as Castellani's Paint, often used for intertrigo, work well but in small selected areas. Carbol Fuscin Red dye used in this treatment like many other vital stains is both fungicidal and bacteriocidal; however, because of the staining are cosmetically undesirable. For many years gentian violet was also used for interdigital and other bacterial and fungal infections.\n\nOral treatment with griseofulvin was begun early in the 1950s. Because of the tendency to cause liver problems and to provoke aplastic anemia the drugs were used cautiously and sparingly. Over time it was found that those problems were due to the size of the crystal in the manufacturing process and microsize and now ultramicrosize crystals are available with few of the original side effects. Oral treatment provides long lasting mycologic cure.\n\nIf the fungal invader is not a dermatophyte but a yeast, other medications such as fluconazole may be used. Typically diflucan is used for candidal vaginal infections moniliasis but has been shown to be of benefit for those with cutaneous yeast infections as well. The most common of these infections occur in the web spaces (intertriginous) and at the base of the fingernail or toenail. The hall mark of these infections is a cherry red color surrounding the lesion and a yellow thick pus.