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Are your feet itching and burning? Maybe you have Athlete's Foot. Athlete's foot is an infection of the upper layers of the skin and is predominantly found on the foot. It is often seen as an dry, itching, burning, scaling redness of the feet especially in the webbing of the toes. When left unchecked, sufferers may notice that their skin peels frequently and in extreme cases there may be cracking, pain and bleeding of the skin.

While commonly associated with the foot, athlete's foot can also give rise to skin disorders such as jock-itch. It is caused by the overgrowth of certain types of fungus, including trichophyton, the ringworm fungus or the tinea pedis fungus, each of which can be easily transmitted from one person to the other upon contact. This contagious condition thrives in warm, moist environments and without the proper growing conditions; it will not survive at all.

Athlete's foot is often transmitted when we walk around barefoot at public pools or in public showers, in locker or changing rooms, in home bathrooms, especially in the shower. It can also thrive in individuals who's feet sweat excessively, who wear the same shoes without allowing them to fully dry out or when the feet are not dried thoroughly before covering them. Interestingly, this disorder is seen more often in teenagers and adult males.

In health circles, it is generally believed that prevention is the best course of action to take. If however, you do end up with a case of athlete's foot, there are a number of natural and alternative health remedies you can employ.

Recommendations For Wellness

Avoid all yeast containing foods: yeast breads, fermented beverages (beer, wine, brandy, scotch, etc.) moldy cheeses, fermented vinegars, salad dressing, peanuts, biscuits, canned citrus fruit juices, cake mix, ice cream, all dried fruit, oranges, pickles, tomato sauce, sugars, yeast powder, processed and smoked meats, malt products, barbecue sauce, olives, mayonnaise, and chili peppers.

Avoid sugar (especially hidden sugars such as those found in soft drinks, pastries, canned fruits and vegetables), artificial sweeteners, and all refined carbohydrates.

Supplementation with a probiotic such as acidophilus can help to restore the good bacteria in the body and help protect you from infection.

If you are at the gym or at a public pool, wear sandals in the locker room, in the shower and in the pool area.

Wear cotton socks and if your feet tend to sweat, change them often, making sure you dry your feet well before putting on a fresh pair.

Sprinkle baking soda on your feet before putting your socks on to help absorb moisture.

When the weather is hot and humid, go barefoot or in sandals whenever possible.

Be sure to air your shoes out at night to allow any moisture in them to evaporate. If possible don't wear the same pair of shoes every day.

A tincture of black walnut can be applied directly to the affected areas of the feet and toes to help kill the fungus.

Lemon balm, rosemary or a mixture of lavender oil and tea tree oil can be used externally to help eradicate the infection.

Herbs such as goldenseal, pau d' arco, olive leaf extract or garlic can be taken internally to help heal the infection. They can also be applied externally the affected areas or by soaking the feet in a herbal bath made from these substances.

Some experts recommend adding grapefruit seed extract to your wash, especially when you are cleaning your socks, gym clothes, bath mat or towels.

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