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Athlete's Foot Causes & Treatments
© Copyright Bee Wilder
What is Athlete's Foot?
Athlete's foot is a fungal
infection of the skin of the feet, which can also involve reactions by the feet
and skin to toxins produced by candida/fungus overgrowth mainly found in the digestive tract.
Such problems
with the feet are often found to contain a combination of fungi and bacteria. Athlete's foot causes scaling and sogginess of
the skin, mostly of the web spaces between the toes.
Athlete's Foot Symptoms & Signs
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Red and/or pale
skin.
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Mild to intense itchiness,
mostly in between the toes.
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Burning and
inflammation.
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Cracked or
blistered skin.
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Skin patches and
scaling of the skin.
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Skin fissures
(small cracks).
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Toenails may
become affected as athlete's foot progresses causing thick yellowish nails that
are malformed, thickened and crumbly, called onychomycosis.
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Fingernails can
also become affected just like toenails.
Fungus on the feet can also
develop into calluses, corns, warts, and horny growths, or keratotic tissue
(hardened horny growths or build-up), mostly around the borders of the
heels. Active growth of the fungus is
also supported by nutrients contained in such horny growths.
Causes of Athlete's Foot
Athlete's foot is caused by a
depressed immune system and/or a lack of adequate blood circulation to the
extremities and inadequate oxygen in the blood.
This primarily occurs in diseases such as diabetes, and heart disease,
but it also occurs in many other disease conditions, including candida and
candida related diseases)
Athlete's foot is usually accompanied
by candida overgrowth in other areas of the body, mainly in the intestinal
tract. Like other evidence of candida overgrowth in the body, i.e. thrush,
vaginal yeast, jock itch, etc. it is a definite sign of more serious problems
caused by a weakened immune system.
Ordinarily healthy skin
secretes acid on its surface. This acid
layer is necessary for the health and integrity of the skin, which also acts as
a protective barrier.
However through
malnutrition, constant showers and bathing, soaps that remove the acid layer,
toxins, poor blood circulation, low oxygen levels in the blood, etc. the health
of the skin is compromised leaving it more vulnerable to fungal overgrowth.
Athlete's foot, like other
fungal infections of the skin and organs, can be treated directly. Even though direct treatment will provide
some measure of comfort and relief of the symptoms it will not be totally eradicated
until the immune system is functioning normally.
This is only accomplished by the entire
Candida Program, including diet, supplements, antifungals and probiotics. True healing only occurs with proper
nutrition and elimination of toxins.
Fungal infections of the feet are particularly difficult to eradicate
because fungi love moisture and warmth, making feet a perfect climate for their
growth.
Athlete's Foot Treatments
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Wear 100% cotton socks, changing them often. Do
not wear synthetic materials of any kind, including pantyhose, knee-highs, or
socks made of synthetic and cotton blends.
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Walk in bare feet as often as possible, particularly
inside your own home. This allows your feet to keep dry and breath.
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Footwear should only be worn if necessary, and it must
be made of natural materials, such as leather or cloth, which allow your feet
to breath, and do not allow as much moisture to accumulate. Changing to different shoes everyday also
helps. Shoes should be dried well before wearing them again. A hair dryer can be used to speed up the
process.
-
Dust closed-in shoes with a light layer of baking soda
to absorb any excess moisture before putting them on. Baking soda can be put into a large glass jar
with holes in the top, like those used for dispensing parmesan cheese or red pepper flakes.
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Do not shower or bath too frequently since it
removes the healthy acid layer of the skin.
When you do take a shower or bath, avoid scrubbing your feet with
soap. Just allow the water to clean
them.
This will allow the skin of your feet to build up a healthy natural acid
surface. If you do wash your feet with
soap follow it with an apple cider vinegar or lemon juice and water mixture
(mix 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or the juice of 1/2 lemon into 2 cups
of warm water). Pat dry with paper towels, but do not rinse it off. Any smell dissipates quickly.
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Wash your feet and dry them well. Fungi from athlete's
foot will live in a warm, moist environment. If you keep your feet dry, they
will have a hard time enjoying you. Application of a talc powder can help keep
your feet dry over the course of the day.
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Do not tamper with your feet too much. By that I mean, do not use a nail file, rasp,
loofah or pumice stone to remove dead skin, calluses or corns. This damages the skin and encourages more
fungal growth.
Instead, after taking an epsom salt bath, when your feet are
clean and soft, use a natural bristle brush and a dry wash cloth (alternate
using them), and rub your feet well, rolling off any dead skin that is ready to
be removed.
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Soak your feet twice a day in an antifungal solution. The best solution to use is garlic with lemon
tea because it also leaves an acid layer on your feet. Pat them dry with a paper towel and then
apply antifungals.
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Rub antifungal solutions well into all areas of the
feet that are affected (use 1 tablespoon of coconut oil with 5 drops or more of
one of one of these oils - or use a combination): 1) tea tree oil, 2) oil of oregano, 3) garlic oil, and 4) clove oil.
You make these mixtures ahead
of time. There is no need to refrigerate
them. Multiply the amount of coconut oil
as well as the number of drops accordingly.
Alternatively, raw crushed
garlic can be rubbed into all affected areas. Antifungals can be applied 2-3
times a day.
Wash your hands well after
applying antifungals so you will not accidentally touch them to your eyes. If you happen to get garlic or other antifungal
solutions in your eyes, rinse them well with 1 teaspoon of baking soda mixed
into 1 cup of sterile or distilled water.
It is wise to mix up this solution ahead of time just in case. It keeps well in your cupboard.
Apply
antifungals before bedtime, allowing 20 minutes for the solution to soak in
well before retiring. That's a good time
to watch your last TV show of the evening with your treated bare feet propped
up.
If you wish you can wrap up your feet with gauze or clean white cloth so it
will not stain bedclothes and sheets, and to avoid having the solution rub off. Oil solutions do not encourage fungal growth
like moisture.
References
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