There was a time when I resolved to be stuck with the problem my entire life and as it was spreading up my feet and across more toes I remember thinking that at some point it was going to overtake my leg as well. Then I learned it could spread to other areas of the body as well and really started to be concerned about what to do. I felt hopeless because I had tried to treat the infection with some OTC medications that seemed to show improvements but never completely cured the problem. I had even gone to the doctor and been prescribed an ointment that didn’t seem to perform any better than the ones I was already using.  I felt like it was something I was going to have work hard at managing the rest of my life but had resolved to the idea I would never get rid of it.  It was painful and embarrassing and spreading – it sucked.

There are many different home remedies that are offered on this site as well as medications and products. I believe that some work for some people and some work for others.  I also believe that it depends on the severity of the problem. In other words – some anti-fungal treatments might correct the problem if the area is small but it is has spread and covers a large area with blisters and cracking that same treatment might not be very effective.

Here is what I know – I had it really bad for a long time and tried many different treatments – many of them are on this site.  How I cured it was a combination of some things both in treatment and daily routine of care and treatment.  It did not just vanish overnight, it took some time but it did go away.

I have written an ebook describing exactly how I cured my Athlete’s Foot.  There are also 9 other real life stories of how people have found a cure for their athlete’s foot and ringworm.

In the meantime I will tell you this. You need to be on top of your infection – do not let a day go by that you do not treat it with whatever you are using. I would suggest using a combination of anti-fungal medication ointments or natural oils and powder with whatever soaking or other treatments you might use.

If you are using a treatment of any kind – please share it and some information about your problem and length of time you have had it.

Athlete’s Foot Bath
4 drops tea tree
4 drops lavender

6 drops goldenseal
2 drops sandalwood

1 tsp cinnamon

Add oils and cinnamon to 2 gallons warm water and mix well.   Tea tree oil, lavender, golden-seal and cinnamon have anti-fungal abilities. The sandalwood will aid in healing the cracks and sores commen to athlete’s foot disease. Its antiseptic and soothing properties help keep feet safe from secondary problems that can arise from the open cracked skin. Patchouli could be substituted for the sandalwood as a skin regenerator. Patchouli also has fungicidal properties.

Athlete’s Foot Powder

This foot powder is clay based for the ultimate in absorbing moisture.  One of the hardest things to do in managing athlete’s foot is how to keep the feet dry throughout the day.  Unless you have the ability to go barefoot or take your shoes off during the day you are left with the problem of your feet sweating in your shoes and socks and that can set off the incredible itching that comes with the infection.    I am a landscaper and when I was battling my athlete’s foot it was a given that my feet were going to sweat at some point during the day.  I wish I had known about this then – give it a try.

Let me know how it works but I would suggest that this is not a cure all for the infection.  The athlete’s foot needs to be battled from different angles.  At least that was my experience and my experience lasted a long time until I finally put a combination together that cured it in about 2 months.  I will share my experience with you soon but the use of a topical anti-fungal ointment such as Lotrimin would be a good addition to the foot powder treatment.  You can get a variety of anti-fungal medications at drugstore.com.

I will work on getting links to the different products you will need to create this powder to make it as easy as possible for you to put it together.  But for now – here is the recipe.  Bon Appetite.

Ingredients:

• 3 oz. powdered clay
• 1 oz. arrowroot powder
• 1 oz. cinnamon
• 1 oz. powdered goldenseal herb
• 1 oz. rubbed sage leaves, finely ground
• 1 oz. baking soda
• 25 drops lavender essential oil
• 10 drops tea tree essential oil
• 10 drops geranium essential oil
• 10 drops cypress essential oil
• 5 drops eucalyptus essential oil

Materials & Tools:

• Blender
• Shaker to put the foot powder into for application

Directions:

First add the powdered clay, arrowroot, goldenseal, sage, cinnamon and baking soda to a blender and blend together.

Next add all the essential oils and blend them together with the dry ingredients.  Put the mixture into the shaker and apply to the feet and in between the toes.  Also apply powder to your shoes and socks daily.

Sometimes the fungal infection can have a few symptoms such as itching, especially when perspiring occurs. As the weather warms the condition gets worse. The disease is easy for a dermatologist to recognize but it can be mistaken for other skin conditions. There is no known medical reason why it occurs in some people and not others. The dermatologist can perform a "KOH prep" which is a common test done quickly in the office to make sure of the diagnosis.

The infection is treated with either topical or oral antifungal medications. In very mild cases, non-prescription antifungal creams will work. Prescription antifungal lotions and sprays may work better. The most economical effective treatment is to apply an antifungal shampoo (Nizoral, Loprox) to the body as if it were soap, but leave it on for some minutes before rinsing.

For severe, extensive or recurrent cases, a few tablets of Nizoral pills will clear things up. A newer pill, Sporonox, may replace Nizoral for this problem. These will eliminate the fungus and relive any itch and scale. The

Manu Nutraceuticals Ltd. is one of New Zealands leading producers of natural skin care products incorporating anti-microbial East Cape Manuka essential oil and Manuka UMF honey. Extracts of the Manuka plant (Leptospermum Scoparium) are proven to have powerful anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and insecticidal properties and are recognized in New Zealand as a traditional medicine. Manuka essential oil and Manuka UMF honey provide the active ingredient in this catalogue of creams, oils and soaps, producing effective, natural, and safe solutions for a wide range of skin problems.

Recent scientific studies confirm East Cape Manuka tea tree oil to be highly effective in controlling Foot and Toe Fungus infections.

Tinea pedis commonly known as Athlete’s foot is a skin disease caused by a fungus, usually occurring between the toes, resulting in cracked skin, itching, scaling, inflammation, blisters and dry skin.

Scientific Studies undertaken by New Zealand’s Cawthron Institute demonstrate conclusively that one chemotype of Manuka tea tree essential oil, produced in the East Cape region of New Zealand’s North Island to be highly effective in controlling and eliminating many strains of foot and toe fungus.

Furthermore, the same East Cape Manuka tea tree oil is also highly effective in controlling gram positive bacteria which are also often present in areas where fungi have become established.

East Cape Manuka tea tree oil was found in testing to be up to 30 times more effective than Australian Tea Tree oil in controlling gram positive bacteria, and is now considered to be a world leader in natural antimicrobial treatments.

The following Manuka tea tree products offer a natural alternative to prescription drugs, and in many cases, may provide superior results;

Manu 100% East Cape Manuka Oil
Manu 25% Manuka oil
East Cape Manuka Cream (4% Manuka oil)
Manuka Soap (1.5% Manuka essential oil)

Tinea Treatment Pack comprises:

1 x 100% Manuka oil,

1 x 25% Manuka oil,

1 x East Cape Manuka cream

2 x Manuka soap

(Reduced price applies when ordering as the complete Tinea Pack)

What is Ringworm?

Ringworm is a common infection not caused by a worm as the name would imply but by a parasitic fungi organisms called dermatophytes. They feed on the dead layer of keratine protein found on the outer layer of the skin, nails and hair. These fungi flourish in the skin areas that remain moist, warm and hidden from the light.

This 3-Day Ringworm Treatment has been reviewed and supported by leading physicians familiar with the ringworm fungus. If you are suffering from ringworm, stop hoping the next treatment you try will solve the problem. This program will provide you with all of the necessary information and procedures to make sure the problem is brought under control and ensure it won’t come back. Get relief now.

What Does It Look Like?

There are a variety of ringworm infections that can occur on different areas of the body. The common term for ringworm is “tinea” and depending on where the infection is on the body it will be designated with a latin term for the body part. The tinea infections can each look a bit different but the most common type of ringworm on the body, tinea corporis, will have a red to brown circular bumpy patch of skin. The area will be lighter in the center giving it the ring appearance. Most ringworm infections are itchy and can be painful if not treated.

Make Sure It Is Ringworm

Ringworm can be mistaken for one of the following conditions granuloma annulare, discoid lupus, and sarcoidosis. Bullous tinea pedis (athlete foot with blisters) can mimic bullous drug reactions, bullous pemphigoid, and other bullous diseases of the skin. If suspected ringworm does not respond to routine antifungal treatment, further diagnostics must be performed, like a skin biopsy, a fungal culture, or a skin scraping for fungus identification.

How Do You Catch It?

Ringworm is spread by contact with an infected person, animal or infected surface, such as clothes, towels, and bedding. It’s more common among people living in crowded conditions or participating in contact sports, such as wrestling gymnastics, or martial arts. Ringworm can also be contracted through the soil.

Ringworm-in-children: Children going to day care have a higher risk of the infection as it is highly contagious and as children play one may pass it to another. Also children tend to be more susceptible to certain types of ringworm because their immune systems are not fully developed.

There are several kinds of ringworm that have developed over time and have been given their own names to differentiate them from some of the more well known types. A few of the examples are:

Majocchi’s granuloma, a deeper fungal infection of skin, hair, and hair follicles. It is most common in women who shave their legs.

Tinea corporis gladiatorum, a special name given to tinea corporis spread by skin-to-skin contact between wrestlers.

Tinea imbricata, a form of tinea corporis seen in Central and South America, Asia, and the South Pacific.

How is ringworm treated?

Ringworm can be treated topically (with external applications) or systemically (for example, with oral medications):

Topical treatment: When fungus affects the skin of the body or the groin, many antifungal creams can clear the condition in two weeks or so. Examples of such preparations include those that contain clotrimazole (Cruex cream, Desenex cream, Lotrimin cream, lotion, and solution), miconazole (Monistat-Derm cream), ketoconazole (Nizoral cream); and terbinafine (Lamisil cream and solution). These treatments are effective for many cases of foot fungus as well.

Buy products for ringworm at drugstore.com.

Systemic treatment: For a long time, the only effective antifungal tablet was griseofulvin (Fulvicin, Grifulvin, and Gris-PEG). In recent years, newer agents have been introduced that are both safer and more effective. These include terbinafine (Lamisil), itraconazole (Sporanox), and fluconazole (Diflucan). Reputations die hard, however, and many people continue to fear that even these newer agents are “bad for the liver,” when in fact they are quite safe when used properly.

This common but persistent condition is considered a nuisance to most people but can become a more serious problem to anyone if not treated correctly. To the diabetic however, it is always a serious matter and extremely important to have early diagnosis and effective treatment.

One of the reasons diabetics are susceptible to infection and disease is their immune system is less able to counter the attack. The diabetic has a better chance of getting athlete’s foot (tinea pedis) and other fungal type infections then someone without diabetes due to the bodies inability to fight off the problem.

The Invasion

Once the infection has invaded the skin and started to attack the area of entry another problem occurs for the diabetic. In many diabetes cases there has been nerve damage from the years of wear and tear on the body. This makes it harder for the diabetes sufferer to recognize the symptoms of a foot disorder when it first starts. With a problem like athletes foot, if the symptoms are recognized early and treated consistently with an effective antifungal medication, in most cases it can be cured. If it is not treated early and allowed to spread it then becomes a much more difficult problem to overcome.

More Problems

Last but not least there is again one more reason why these minor infections are major problems for the diabetic. The process of healing the infected area is hindered as the reduced blood flow to the extremities does not keep a fresh supply of blood circulating to replenish the blood in the affected area. People without diabetes have fresh blood circulating to the leg, feet and other extremities, cleansing and replenishing blood from the affected areas. Because the diabetic does not have this normal blood flow it increases the odds of a more serious infection and conditions such as gangrene developing. This is one of the reasons why consistent inspections of the feet and extremities is vital to a diabetics health.

Athlete’s foot fungus thrives in dark, moist and warm conditions. No wonder it is typically found causing great discomfort to the feet. Usually found along the soles of the feet, the area between the toes and sometimes the toenails become infected, athlete’s foot (tinea pedis) is not choosy about where it grows.

It also has the ability to spread to other areas of the body. The fact that the infection becomes incredibly itchy and the hands are usually used to do the itching, the fungus commonly spreads to the hands. When this occurs the medical term for the problem is tinea manuum. It is possible for the fungus to spread to other areas of the body as well especially if other areas are touched with the hands after itching.

With that said it is very important to have good hygiene practices to have a chance of clearing up the problem. Wash your hands on a regular basis, preferably with anti-fungal soap. Make sure your feet are washed and dried and treated every day without fail.

The majority of athlete’s foot cases get out of hand because they are not dealt with when the first signs appear.  Since the area where the problem usually starts is the feet, which tend to be a breeding ground for the fungus, the infection gets a chance to quickly get out of control.  As the problem persists, inconsistent attempts are made to cure the problem and the inconsistency of the applications of antifungal treatment allows the problem to spread and get more out of control.

Consistency is the key, even after it seems like the ringworm infection is gone. Keep applying the medication you are using for a couple of weeks after the problem seems to have cleared up.

What are the Effective Treatment Options

The effectiveness of the treatment can be different case by case.  Some early infections can be arrested with home remedy treatments if caught early enough and treatment is administered consistently and for a length of time that eradicates the bacteria infection completely.

If the nail fungus infection has spread deeper into the nail it will be more difficult to control.  There are some products that have been effective in the treatment of advanced nail fungus.  One of the most effective and safest products is Zetaclear Nail Solution.  It is an herbal remedy with no side effects and has an impressive success rate with effectiveness in treatment of nail fungus.  Almost everyone that tries Zetaclear has results to some degree.  One of the best ways to combat the problem is to utilize a combination of treatments along with the daily routine of fundamental fungus control – i.e. Keep the area dry, well ventilated and try not to keep it dark for very long.

Homeopathic Treatments

There are a few popular home remedy treatments that have been effective at treating the early symptoms of this difficult to control fungal problem.  The more popular ones include

Tea Tree Oil, Listerine and Apple Cider Vinegar.   See my article on Apple Cider Vinegar for more information on this age old medicine.

It is estimated that in the United States there are approximately thirty five million known suffers of nail fungus or Onychomycosis, the medical name for fungal nail infections. There are many more sufferers who are not accounted for because of the nature of the problem they do not seek medical advice or medication.

Ringworm can affect people of all ages but most often affects children.  Animals can also be affected with this fungus problem.

Types of Ringworm Infections

A number of species of fungi cause ringworm. Dermatophytes of the genera Trichophyton and Microsporum are the most common causative agents. These fungi attack various parts of the body and lead to the following conditions:

Tinea corporis – Affects the arms, legs, and trunk
Tinea capitis – Affects the scalp
Tinea cruris – (Jock Itch) affects the groin area
Tinea pedis – (Athlete’s foot) affects the feet
Tinea unguium – Affects the fingernails and toenails
Tinea versicolor – Skin spots, not contagious, very common
Tinea manuum – Affects the hands and palm area

Problems – Treatments for the Problem – Let Us Hear From You

If you would like to share your particular problem and any possible solutions you have attempted or been successful with we would love to hear from you.