Athlete's foot is actually a fungal infection on the skin of the feet, mostly between the toes. The infection may appear at first like a skin rash but then spread to the palms, toenails, groin and other parts. The fungus is mostly found in warm and moist places. Your feet are mostly covered by shoes and socks, which makes it an ideal ground for fungus. How to get rid of athlete's foot is a big problem these days for many people. You may encounter these symptoms when having athlete's foot, including raw skin of the feet, itching on the feet, burning and stinging between the toes and rash and dry skin of the feet. It may bother your daily life, therefore, please spend some time having a look at the following tips which tell you how to get rid of the athlete's foot completely.

Home remedies for athlete's foot

You can cure your feet using the following home remedies. Before applying any remedies on your feet, wash your feet with soap and warm water. Thoroughly clean it and then rinse away the entire soap residue using a towel.

1. Vinegar Soak

Vinegar soak will help keep the foot dry and will kill all bacterias on the foot. This will also help in removing odor from the foot.

You need to keep 1:4 ratios. Add 1 cup of vinegar and 4 cups of water into it. The treatment is also good for the pregnant women with athlete's foot as it does not affect the fetus.

2. Tea tree oil

If tea tree oil is applied regularly, athlete's foot can be treated easily. Tea tree oil contains antifungal compounds which are useful to kill fungal infections on the foot. Sometimes the infection is not completely destroyed, but the oil relieves the infection from the foot.

3. Garlic

Similar to the tea tree oil, garlic is also very useful for people suffering from athlete's foot. Garlic also contains antifungal and antimicrobial compounds which helps in killing the fungal infections from the foot. You don't have to use it as a whole. Crush some garlic and then add some water in it and apply that mixture to your feet. Addition of some olive oil to the mixture is also very helpful.

4. Plain yogurt

Another quick solution for the athlete's foot is plain yogurt. Probiotic bacteria in yogurt could cure the athlete's foot. All you need is to cover the affected area with the yogurt and let it dry and then rinse off. This only works with the plain yogurt, the flavored yogurt will not work here.

Medical treatments

Athlete's foot treatment also includes medications which are helpful if the problem is not cured by home remedies mentioned above. These remedies are very useful, but they are not scientifically proved. They all are based on the personal experiences only. You can try the following medical treatments as well to cure athlete's foot.

1. Over-the-counter antifungal creams

Over the counter, antifungal creams are very useful for athlete's foot. You need to apply them directly to the toes and foot. You need to apply them regularly and expect a good result after a few days. They include clotrimazole, econazole, ketoconazole, miconazole, tioconazole, terbinafine, and amorolfine which are good for the infection.. If these creams are not working you need to consult your doctor again and they will recommend new medication for the athlete's foot.

2. Prescribed medicine from your doctor

If the home remedies and the creams are not working for you, you need to consult your doctor and they may prescribe some other medicines for you to cure the disease. These medicines include fluconazole, itraconazole, terbinafine, naftifine, butenafine and sulconazole. These are some of the best medicines to use for the athlete's foot. Use them under the doctor's approval.

Prevention to avoid athlete's foot

There are some ways which can be used to prevent athlete's foot. We are going to discuss some of them below.

1. Wear sandals or flip-flops.
You must try to wear sandals or flip-flops in all the places where people go barefoot. These places include health clubs, changing rooms, swimming pools a and gymnasium. Mostly the fungus that causes athlete's foot is on these floors.

2. Alternate your shoes.
This is another good technique to prevent athlete's foot. Alternate your shoes every day. Make sure when you are wearing your shoes they are completely dry. The fungus is mostly in the moist and warm areas such as hot and sweaty shoes. You can also wear sandals and flip-flop when it is extremely hot outside to prevent athlete's foot. Try to avoid shoes which are made of rubber and plastic because they are likely to cause sweating. Try to wear shoes after drying it for a complete day.

3. Disinfect clothes, socksand shoes.
Disinfect your clothes, socks and especially shoes before wearing. You can make your own antifungal spray and use it on all the mentioned objects before wearing. A good way to disinfect the shoes is to wash them regularly or put them directly in the sun after you take them off.

Athlete's foot is a serious problem and if not addressed timely can become a big problem as well. However, how to treat athlete's foot is not a big deal. There are easy home remedies and medication as well which will help your cure the disease easily. You can also avoid athlete's foot by following all the tips and precautions mentioned in the article. Here is a video explaining how to get rid of athlete's foot.