How to Treat Athlete’s Foot

Aug 24, 2022 Source: Cainiu Health

Dr. Liu Wan

Introduction

Foot fungus (tinea pedis) can be alleviated and treated through foot soaking. Prepare a foot soak using pepper-infused vinegar: open seven vinegar sachets and pour the contents into a basin. Add one spoonful of ground black pepper, then gently heat the mixture over low heat. Once the temperature has cooled slightly, immerse your feet and soak for 30 minutes. After soaking, pat your feet dry thoroughly. This treatment may be repeated daily for several consecutive days. Note that the pepper-vinegar solution in the basin remains effective for multiple uses over several days.

Athlete’s foot, also known as tinea pedis, predominantly affects adults. Generally, this condition is most severe during summer. It typically begins on one foot and, after a period of time, spreads to the other foot. Primary causes include fungal infection, decreased immune function, complications arising from other underlying diseases, and adverse effects resulting from excessive medication use. So, how is athlete’s foot treated?

How to Treat Athlete’s Foot

Soaking the feet can help alleviate and treat athlete’s foot. One method involves soaking the feet in pepper-vinegar solution: open seven vinegar sachets and pour the contents into a basin; add one tablespoon of ground black pepper and gently heat the mixture over low heat. Once the temperature has cooled slightly, immerse your feet for 30 minutes. After soaking, pat your feet dry thoroughly. This treatment may be repeated daily for several consecutive days. Note that the pepper-vinegar solution in the basin remains effective for several days. Alternatively, soak your feet in soybean water: add 150 g of soybeans to 1 kg of water and simmer gently for approximately 20 minutes. When the water cools to a comfortable temperature for foot soaking, immerse your feet for 20 minutes, repeating this process for several days.

Since athlete’s foot is caused by fungal infection, topical antifungal ointments should be applied directly to the affected area. However, if the lesions are accompanied by maceration and exudation, an astringent antibacterial wet dressing should first be applied to the affected area; once the skin has dried, antifungal medication may then be used. In cases of severe skin dryness or fissuring, an antipruritic cleanser may be used first, followed by application of antifungal ointment—this combined approach enhances therapeutic efficacy and promotes faster recovery.

Patients are advised to limit intake of spicy, greasy, and irritating foods, and to avoid smoking and alcohol consumption. Instead, they may opt for foods rich in vitamin B and vitamin C. We hope this information proves helpful to you.

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Can people with athlete’s foot eat honeydew melon?

If you develop beriberi (vitamin B1 deficiency), you may consume some Hami melon. Hami melon is a common food rich in sugars, trace elements, and various vitamins, which may help improve beriberi. However, you should not eat large quantities of Hami melon frequently, as this may impair spleen and stomach function—particularly because Hami melon contains substantial amounts of sugar. Excessive consumption of Hami melon is likely to elevate blood glucose levels.

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Causes of Athlete’s Foot

Athlete’s foot is caused by fungi that infect the skin of the feet. After invading the foot skin, these fungi multiply within the skin and damage the stratum corneum (the outermost layer of the skin). During an outbreak of athlete’s foot, the skin on the feet thickens and produces excess keratin and scale-like flakes. The fungi rapidly proliferate by feeding on the proteins present in this keratin. Because the fungal infection penetrates deep into the skin, the surface scales act as a barrier, preventing antifungal medications from penetrating into the infected tissue.

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What type of fungus causes athlete’s foot?

Athlete’s foot, also known as tinea pedis, is a superficial fungal skin infection primarily caused by dermatophytes invading the skin of the feet—including the toes, heels, lateral margins of the feet, and the soles. The most common causative fungi are *Trichophyton rubrum*, *Trichophyton mentagrophytes*, and *Microsporum gypseum*. Infection typically occurs through direct contact or by scratching the affected area with the hands.

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Causes of Athlete’s Foot

Those with athlete’s foot should pay attention to how they store their shoes. If someone in the household has athlete’s foot, shoes contaminated with fungi placed inside a dark, poorly ventilated shoe cabinet create ideal conditions for rapid fungal proliferation. Moreover, skin flakes (squames) scattered inside the shoe cabinet also harbor large numbers of fungi. Even initially clean shoes stored in such an environment may become contaminated—either by fungal-laden skin flakes or by adjacent “dirty” shoes.