What Doctors Don’t Tell You Australia-NZ – July 22, 2019

FACEBOOK.COM/WDDTYAUNZ ISSUE 01 | AUG/SEP 2019 | WDDTY 61

Preventing athlete’s foot: top tips

for runners

• Dry your feet thoroughly
  after washing, especially
  between the toes, and
  always wash and dry your
  feet after a run.


• Wear moisture-wicking
  socks made of breathable
  materials when running,
  and wash them after each
  use.


• Sprinkle naturally
  antifungal foot powder into
  shoes and socks before and
  after a run. Try NutriBiotic
  Body & Foot Powder or
  Thursday Plantation Tea
  Tree Foot Powder, both
  available from various sites
  online.


• Invest in some Boot
  Bananas (www.
  bootbananas.com),
  banana-shaped shoe

deodorizers made with

antifungal essential oils

and moisture-absorbing

bamboo, charcoal, baking

soda and zeolite.

• Make sure running shoes
  are completely dry before
  running in them again.
  Consider alternating
  between pairs of shoes so
  they have enough time to
  dry out.


• Never share your shoes,
  socks or towels with others,
  and wear flip-flops or
  shower shoes when using
  communal showers, pools,
  fitness centers and other
  public areas.


• Let air get to your feet as
  much as possible when
  you’re at home.

GARLIC

A compound found in garlic known as ajoene has antifungal

properties and is more powerful in treating athlete’s foot than

terbinafine cream, a popular antifungal medication (better

known as Lamisil). One hundred percent of patients rubbing

on a 1 percent ajoene cream twice a day were completely free

of athlete’s foot after two months, versus 94 percent in the

terbinafine group.^4 Ajoene creams are not widely available, but

you could try using crushed garlic cloves instead.

What to do:

•Apply a warm, moist compress to affected areas, as heat

attracts the fungus to the skin surface, making any

treatment more effective.

•Place a well-mashed clove of garlic between two pieces of

gauze, cut to fit over the affected area, tape the open sides and

then tape the whole patch to the affected area.

•Replace with a fresh mashed-up garlic clove and clean gauze

every three to five hours. Continue to do this until the infection

clears and for a while afterward to stop it

from coming back.

•Alternatively, soak your feet in a solution of hot

water and crushed garlic for 30 minutes

daily, or apply minced garlic in olive

oil with a cotton ball directly to the

affected areas.

OZONE THERAPY

Vegetable oils exposed to ozone gas could

help combat athlete’s foot. In one study,

ozonated sunflower oil (Oleozon)

was just as effective as the topical

antifungal ketoconazole,

but only the Oleozon-

treated group remained

fungus-free six months

later.^6 Various ozonated

oils are available online from

brands such as Ozonated Oils

(www.ozonatedoils.com) and Pur03

(www.puro3.com). Both are available

via Good Health Naturally (www.

goodhealthnaturally.com or http://www.

goodhealthusa.com). Apply to the

affected area twice daily.

Did you know?

Despite its name, athlete’s foot can affect anyone. It’s thought

that up to 1 5 percent of the population has it, especially men

and older people.^1

REFERENCES

1 Br J Clin Pharmacol, 1999; 48:

847–52

2 Australas J Dermatol, 2002; 43:

175–8

3 Nihon Ishinkin Gakkai Zasshi,

2007; 48: 27–36

4 J Am Acad Dermatol, 2000; 43(5

Pt 1): 829–32

5 Planta Med, 2003; 69: 390–5; J

Altern Complement Med, 2012;

18: 607–11

6 Mycoses, 2002; 45: 329–32

DID YOU KNOW? REFERENCE

1 Institute for Quality and Efficiency

in Health Care, Athlete’s foot:

Overview. 2006

TRADITIONAL

HERBS

A number of herbs have been traditionally

used in Mexico to fight fungal skin infections

such as athlete’s foot. Solanum chrysotrichum

(sosa, or giant devil’s fig) and Ageratina

pichinchensis (snakeroot) have both proven

effective in clinical trials.^5 They may be

hard to track down, though, so consider

contacting a qualified medical

herbalist for a prescription.