All About Athlete's Foot Treatment: 8 Best Home Remedies

An athlete’s foot is a fungal skin infection that appears between your toes [1]. It usually occurs in people with very sweaty feet and tight-fitting shoes. Doctors determine whether you need to undergo athlete’s foot treatment according to the stage of your condition. The best athlete’s foot treatment method is taking oral and topical medicine while following some home remedies.

Athlete’s foot usually affects: 

• Those who are obesity 
• Those who have diabetes  
• Those with a weak immune system  
• Those with wounds or tissue damage on the feet [2]

Read on to understand more about athlete’s foot, its symptoms, and home remedies for athlete’s foot treatment.

Athlete’s Foot Symptoms  

An athlete’s foot may affect either one or both of your feet. Common symptoms include 

• Cracked and scaly skin between your toes that is constantly peeling 
• Itchiness, especially at the time of taking off your socks and shoes 
• Inflamed skin that can appear purplish, reddish, or grayish, based on the color of your skin 
• Blisters, which are tiny red bumps 
• Stinging or burning sensation 
• Scaly dry skin at the bottom of your foot which extends up to the side [3]

If you have a rash on your feet and it does not improve within 1 to 2 weeks, consult your doctor.

Home Remedies for Athlete’s Foot Treatment  

Try these recommended options to treat athletes’ feet on your own.

1. Keep Feet Dry and Clean

Wash your feet properly at least twice a day and gently dry them with a towel, especially between your toes. 

2. Use Antifungal Products 

After washing your feet and patting them dry, apply an antifungal cream, ointment, or serum. Try to use it every time after washing your feet until your rash clears or reduces. It can take from 2 to 4 weeks to see the results. If the problem reoccurs or is not solved, consult your dermatologist to get other athletes’ foot treatment options. 

3. Change Socks Regularly

Make sure you don’t repeat your socks more than once. Instead, wear materials that let your feet breathe and change your socks twice daily. You should change them more often if your feet get very sweaty.

4. Wear Well-ventilated and Light Footwear

Avoid shoes and wear sandals or slippers to let your feet air out. Even if you wear shoes, avoid footwear made of synthetic material like rubber or vinyl.

5. Alternate between Different Pairs of Shoes  

Try not to wear the same shoes daily. Instead, wear different shoes every alternate day to help your shoes dry out after use. This makes it easy to prevent the spread of athlete’s foot infection.

6. Avoid Scratching or Touching Rash

Touching the affected area again and again, can lead to the infection spreading. It can also cause the condition to worsen. Alternatively, you can wash your feet with cold water or apply some neem oil.

7. Avoid Sharing Shoes

Fungal infections can spread through contact, so avoid sharing your shoes to prevent this risk. Also, in public places where your feet can get wet, wear waterproof shoes or sandals.

8. Use Tea Tree or Neem Oil

This is a great athlete’s foot treatment option as it is entirely natural. In addition, both neem and tea tree oil have antifungal properties that can help treat this fungal infection. Apply twice or thrice daily on the infected areas for two weeks to get the best result.

Athletes’ foot is diagnosable quite easily. For athlete’s foot treatment, it is best to consult a dermatologist to ensure the situation does not become worse. For convenience, you can also consult online dermatologists on Bajaj Finserv Health and get the best athlete’s foot treatment. Skin specialists can also provide solutions to various skin problems and offer staph infection treatment, sunburn treatment, or something as simple as back acne treatment. Get fast and effective treatment by booking an appointment now!