ATHLETE’S FOOT

IN THE DAYS WHEN only athletes spent hours in sweaty socks and gyms, they were the primary victims of athlete’s foot. But today, as more and more of us work out regularly, athlete’s foot is more common. A combination bacterial/fungal infection, athlete’s foot usually begins with redness between the toes that eventually cracks, peels, burns, and itches and sometimes blisters.

When you understand the actual cause and conditions that promote athlete’s foot, you’ll see that prevention is the best course. The fungal/ bacterial infection that develops into athlete’s foot requires dead skin and a moist, warm environment. The calluses and dead skin that surround toenails as well as the dead skin on the feet that usually doesn’t get scrubbed away provide an ideal growth medium for athlete’s foot. When the bacteria have been introduced to the foot and the foot is stuffed into a pair of sweaty socks and hot shoes, you create a perfect environment for a troublesome case of athlete’s foot. Once athlete’s foot develops, it is easily transmitted by a damp bath mat or a wet shower-room floor.

Here are some basic steps to take to prevent athlete’s foot and to avoid recurrence.

• Keep your feet clean. Once any soreness or cracking has cleared up, scrub your feet and toes with a brush to remove dead skin when you shower. Pay special attention to your toenails, brushing beneath them as well as you can. If you bathe instead of shower, rinse your feet in fresh water after your bath.
• Keep your feet dry. Let them dry for five or ten minutes after a shower before putting on shoes. Use a hair dryer on your feet to thoroughly dry them, and dust them with antifungal powder before putting on your socks.
• Wear clean, dry cotton socks. Change them a couple of times a day if necessary to ensure dryness. Make sure you wash your socks in hot water to help kill fungus spores.
• Dust the insides of your shoes with antifungal powder.
• Let your shoes dry thoroughly between wearings: This usually means alternating shoes instead of wearing the same pair every day.
• Wear shower shoes to prevent infection at the gym or pool or any place where people go barefoot.

If you do develop a case of athlete’s foot, there are some natural remedies that should help you. Vitamin E can help the skin heal. Puncture a vitamin E capsule and squeeze it directly onto the irritation. Take a teaspoon of acidophilus (available at health food stores) mixed in water on an empty stomach in the morning and at night. These bacteria-the ones used to make yogurt-help restore the normal, healthy balance of good bacteria that protect you from infection.

Finally there’s an over-the-counter topical preparation that used to be available only by prescription that can really help. It’s a I percent clotrimazole cream and, if you use it for two or three nights in a row according to the package directions, you will get the infection under control.

NATURAL PRESCRIPTION FOR ATHLETE’S FOOT

• If you do develop athlete’s foot, you should immediately adopt all the steps recommended above for avoiding and preventing it, except for brushing the feet while showering (until the worst irritation clears up).
• Puncture a capsule of vitamin E and squeeze it directly onto the irritation.
• Take one teaspoon of acidophilus mixed In water on an empty stomach in the morning and at night.
• Use an over-the-counter preparation containing 1 percent clotrimazole (brand name: Lotrimin), according to package directions.