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Treatments for Athlete’s Foot
If you find that you have somehow acquired the athlete’s foot infection, then there are numerous treatments on the market that you may make use of in order to treat this nasty condition. Treatments are available both as prescription and over the counter medications, or by one of the many homeopathic treatments that are widely available. The decision is up to you. Some people prefer to take a more natural approach to curing conditions such as athlete’s foot, while others prefer the more assured results of a mass produced medication. Regardless of which form of treatment you feel more comfortable with, it is always important that you aid your recovery by always performing good personal hygiene. Although it is hard to believe, several studies taken have shown that performing good hygiene alone was enough to cure 30 to 40 percent of all athlete’s foot cases. The following treatments are also available as a way to assure recovery and to make sure recovery takes place as quickly as possible.
First the more conventional methods of curing athlete’s foot will be looked at. There are various companies that offer you the ability cure your athlete’s foot condition with the aid of various medications, both topical and oral. Most of these treatments will have to be taken about once or twice a day until the condition has cleared up. While you are making use of these treatments, be certain that you continue to use good hygiene and do your best to keep your feet dry at all times. While the topical treatments are effective for most cases of athlete’s foot, if you have a severe condition, or have had the condition for a prolonged period of time, then you may have to make use of the more effective oral treatments.
The most common method of treating athlete’s foot is the topical anti-fungal medications that come in either sprays, creams, powders, or gels. The active ingredients that are most likely to be found in the over the counter topical athlete’s foot treatments are miconazole nitrate and tolnaftate. These drugs are very potent; in fact, treatments that contain these drugs need only very small amounts in order to work: 2 percent for miconazole nitrate in the United States, and 1 percent tolnaftate in the United States. Another drug that is increasingly becoming more popular is terbinafine, but you may more readily recognize it as Lamisil.
While most people find the aforementioned over the counter athlete’s foot medications to be sufficient to treat their conditions, there are many reasons why you would want to use a prescription treatment instead. For one thing, they work the fastest because they contain more potent amounts of medication. You may also want to use a prescription treatment because your medical insurance will cover it while it will not cover over the counter treatments. The four most commonly used prescription medications are the following: caspofungin, ketaconazole, nystatin, itraconazole, and naftifine. Fungicide, composed primarily of undecylenic acid, is another popular method of treating athlete’s foot. One of the oldest surviving athlete’s foot medications is Whitfield’s Ointment, a solution composed of benzoic and salicylic acid. While it is quite rare at this point, it is still used in some cases.
There are much fewer oral medications than topical athlete’s foot medication treatments available. The first ever oral treatment for the condition is griseofulvin, which became available in the 1950s. It is not prescribed often nowadays though because of its tendency to cause liver problems and aplastic anemia. In the United Kingdom, terbinafine is the preferred oral method of treatment. Two other popular oral treatments are itraconazole and fluconazole. As you can see, topical treatments for athlete’s foot are much more widely available; even so, oral treatments will often be used in more severe cases.
Finally, the several alternative treatments for the athlete’s foot condition must be looked at. One such treatment is tea tree oil- this topical treatment provides relief from the itching that is a common symptom of the condition. While some attest that this treatment can cure the athlete’s foot condition, most have determined that it merely provides a relief of the symptoms which accompany it. Onion extract, usually a 3% total volume of the solution, has been shown to be an effective antifungal treatment in some laboratory tests. Garlic extract is a popular method of treating athlete’s foot as well. An active ingredient contained within known as ajoene, as been shown to be the reason for its efficacy.
One of the more useful methods of treating athlete’s foot involves the use of either rubbing alcohol, vinegar, or hydrogen peroxide. When applied to the affected area immediately following a bath or shower, it has shown great results. If you wish, you may even combine the rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide together as one all effective treatment. This method works by killing off the fungus on the surface level of the skin. It can even prevent secondary bacteria from forming as an added bonus. Along with this treatment, you may wish to soak your feet in a diluted rubbing alcohol solution (about 70 percent rubbing alcohol) as it will help to dry out the skin and kill off any bacteria that may be forming. It should also kill off any fungus that is forming as well. Even so, alcohol can do little against spores. For this reason, you may wish to apply vinegar to the infected area as well. It has been shown to be an effective treatment against spores and fungus.
The fungus that causes athlete’s foot thrives in a moist area. For this reason, be certain to keep your feet dry at all times. Since you will have to bathe or shower, you may find that a common blow dryer may be a great way to dry out the skin immediately following bathing. Some people attest that rubbing feet with baking soda is a great idea as they claim that it helps to balance the pH of the feet. While some claim that a diluted solution of household bleach is an effective cure, it is not recommended. Hopefully, you will be able to make use of these methods of treatment for your athlete’s foot condition.
Treatment Options
Treatments of athlete’s foot can include over the counter remedies, prescription drugs, changes in hygiene practices, as well as natural cures. Below, we have detailed the most common prescription and over the counter treatments of athlete’s foot as well as when these treatments should be used. Please remember that no treatment should be started without first seeking the advice of a medical professional.
Over the Counter (OTC) Treatments
Over the counter treatments of athlete’s foot are ideal in cases where infection is in its earliest stages, before the infection has permeated to the tissues of the skin. The purpose of most OTC treatments are anti-fungal, using various methods to stop the ability for the fungus to grow.
Some common over the counter medications for athlete’s foot in its early stages include:
- Lamasil-AT (terbafine)
- Desenex (undecylenic acid)
- Tinactin (toinaftate)
- Aborbine Jr. (miconazole)
- Micatin (miconazole)
Most remedies are topical and are available in creams, powers, and sprays that can be applied directly to the infected surface and massaged into the skin.
Prescription Medications
In the latter stages of infection and in severe cases, athlete’s foot is best cured through prescription medications that are able to penetrate the skin and work to combat the fungi growth (topical) or are able to break down the fungi membranes to stop their growth (internal).
Allylamines in particular are strong prescription medications that work to produce a compound buildup that is toxic to fungi. Azoles are also effective prescription medications that work directly on the fungi membrane to inhibit their growth. In lab tests, ally-lamines have been shown to provide faster results (one week or less), however azoles (which can take 4-7 weeks) are equally effective in curing athlete’s foot.
Several prescription medications include:
Topical
- Lotramin (clotrimazole)
- Monistat-Derm (miconazole nitrate)
- Naftin (naftifine hydrochloride)
Oral
- Fulvicin (griseeofulvin)
- Grisactin (griseofulvin)
- Lamasil (hydrocloride)
- Sporanox (itraconazole)
- Diflucan (fluconazole)
The environment required for the athlete’s foot fungi to thrive includes moist, dark, closed spaces. All treatments should also be accompanied by changes in hygiene to prevent re-infestation. Recommended additions to treatment include:
- drying feet well after any exposure to moisture, paying close attention to the areas between the toes.
- wearing well-ventilated, mesh, or open-toed shoes.
- wearing and regularly changing socks (a lightweight, cotton socks is recommended)
- adhering to change frequencies of sole inserts
Used in conjunction with medications, the symptoms of athlete’s foot should begin to subside within one week. To prevent unnecessary recurrences, doctors strongly recommend that all medications be taken for their prescribed length of time even if symptoms are not present.
Reference:
http://www.jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/band107/b107-3.html
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/athletes-foot-treatment-overview