Tea Tree Oil for Athletes Foot

The athletes foot infection is a fungal one, and can be picked up by walking barefoot on the same floors as others who may be carrying the infection, or may develop on your feet due to other factors such as improper foot care.

Some of the symptoms of athletes foot are:

• Scaly, cracked, dry skin on the sole of the foot.
• Vesicular developments such as pustules and sores.
• Stinging or burning sensations and itching.

To elaborate on how an athletes foot infection develops, we must first understand the nature of the fungi which causes it. The fungus likes moist and warm environments, which is why the feet make an ideal place to hide and multiply, in particular between the toes. As a rule of thumb, the more a person feet sweat, and the less they wash their feet and change their socks, the more chance they have of developing athletes foot.

What to do if you have athletes foot:

If you're unlucky enough to have developed athletes foot, you're best course of action as always, is to go to the doctors as they can ascertain which will be the best medication or treatment to clear up your particular symptoms. If you don't opt for the doctors you may wish to try treating it yourself with a pharmacy-bought treatment. Another great way of treating athletes foot which seems to work as well as any other is Tea Tree Oil, which can be purchased from health stores such as Holland & Barrett. Tea Tree Oil is usually applied 3 times a day to all areas of the foot, with around 4-10 drops applied each time per foot. Tea Tree Oil works well because it contains strong anti-fungal properties, as other less-natural treatments do.

Ways to prevent athletes foot in the future:

• Wash your feet daily or twice daily.
• Ensure your feet are properly dried after washing them, especially between the toes. Applying talcum powder is a good way to help dry your feet.
• After washing your feet, change your socks for a fresh pair. It isn't going to help if you put the same pair back on, as the fungi will be present in your dirty socks and by putting the same pair back on, you are reintroducing the fungi back onto your feet.
• Avoid wearing shoes which you know make your feet sweat a lot. The more your feet sweat, the softer your skin becomes leaving them more vulnerable to tears and abrasions, which the fungi can exploit. Also, the more you feet sweat, the more the fungi will thrive in general.
• Don't walk barefoot on floors at locker rooms, changing rooms, swimming pools, or spas if you can help it. If you do, always ensure your feet are washed thoroughly before putting your socks back on. If you happen to be at a sports centre or the like, you're best bet is to get home as soon as possible, put your socks in the wash, grab a clean pair of socks and wash your feet and wear the clean pair. This minimises the amount of time your feet spend potentially adopting fungi from the spa/locker room/shower/pool.