athlete's foot........

Mouse040

Full Member
Apr 26, 2013
533
0
Radstock
I think his thinking about the spruce roots would be the Berberine that naturally occurs after the third year of growth in the inner bark which is traditionally was used to treat infections to be honest it's not the best treatment for the job it will work eventually but is quite labour intensive
In all honesty with better understanding of the problem the cure tends to come much easier ,
The tinea fungus that causes athlete's foot and there are two very good natural treatments that do work the first being mustard oil ,and the second being tannin water which is a by product of leaching acorns :) the tannin water is a good treatment for most fungal infections and skin problems .
 
Hi Pete,

First off make sure they're washed and dried properly at least once a day, and get him some wool sock. Wool will naturally keep fungal and other infections to a minimum whereas synthetic socks will promote it. Also the wool will help with moisture management as damp feet through sweat wet boots wont help. So at the end of the day if he washes and properly dries his feet and then maybe puts on some medicated talc before putting on FRESH socks it should hopefully clear up. Synthetic sports socks are really bad for promoting infections.

Also at the end of a day if you remove the laces, take out the foot beds if you can and let them air in the sunshine (if there is any) the air and natural UV light will keep the boots dry and cleaner. Don't stuff damp boots with paper as it keeps them damp and promotes fungal growth.

Unfortunately our warm damp climate promotes fungal infections.

Hope this helps,
ATB,
GB.

I would advise all the above, Tea Tree Oil is a good alternative here is a quote from a good book

"A favourite home remedy for Athletes Foot involves placing the Tea Tree Oil liberally to a foot bath and soak for 20 minutes or so. dry the feet well and then apply a few drops onto the affected area. Repeat this process twice daily. Try to keep the area as dry as possible."
Dr. Joseph Alton M.D.
The Survival Medical Handbook
Page 154
 

Zingmo

Eardstapa
Jan 4, 2010
1,296
119
S. Staffs
I suffer from... some other unidentified affliction that causes blisters on my feet.

I suffered for years with itchy blisters on my feet. Then I found out that it was athletes foot that has got under the skin:eek:. I treated it with Lamisil Once and it has not been back for several years now.

I can't remember where I heard about it, but it was suggested that the population of fungus on your feet can build up a resistance to your usual medicine. The idea was to change treatment to something with a different active ingredient. Also important to follow a full course of treatment including all the washing and drying, not just rubbing in some cream every now and then when it gets really bad.



Z
 

BlueTrain

Nomad
Jul 13, 2005
482
0
78
Near Washington, D.C.
I don't have any suggestions but as a side issue, one reads in old books about avoiding rubber-soled shoes and boots and how they were bad for your feet. Obviously, no one seems to worry about that now. Was there any truth to those claims? I think leather soles for boots pretty well disappeared since probably the 1980s. Direct molded rubber soles or some other kind of rubber soles (like Vibram) are about all there is.

It's funny but when I was in high school in the early 1960s, athlete's foot was the only social disease they mentioned in "health." (That was before sex was discovered). There would be a little tray of some liquid outside the showers in gym classes that you were supposed to step in after your shower--and then walk barefoot back across the same floor you did before taking a shower. I don't remember wearing shower shoes. Don't remember using soap, either.
 

MartiniDave

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 29, 2003
2,355
130
62
Cambridgeshire
I used to really suffer with this, but I've not had any sign of it since I started using "Grandpa's Soap". I don't know if it is the soap that's made the difference, of if I've just grown out of it!

Dave
 

bullterrier

Forager
Feb 4, 2011
129
0
NZ
I now use that alcohol hand rub stuff you can get in little bottles - hand sanitiser. I read Ross Kemp's Afghanistan books and apparently that's what the general practice was. Kills all bugs on your hands and seems to kill the ones on your feet too.
 

Teepee

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jan 15, 2010
4,115
5
Northamptonshire
Peeing on my feet in the shower, using Tea tree oil based soap, changing shoes regularly have cured my athletes foot for a while now.
 

Quixoticgeek

Full Member
Aug 4, 2013
2,483
25
Europe
I still suffer from time to time, but when I had it bad I treated it with potassium permanganate.

Mix up a light pink solution in an old washing up bowl and soak your feet...be warned, it will turn skin brown, but it cured my athletes foot!

Simon

Total agreement. You don't need to go as far as to soak the feet. I made some up in a jam jar, and then just applied it to my feet using a straw as a pipette. Worked really well. Even when the various prescription stuff hadn't. Only needed 2 treatments.

Do note, Potassium Permangenate can be used to harden the skin, and is not recommended for prolonged use - i.e. don't soak your feet every day in the stuff.

J
 

Mike313

Nomad
Apr 6, 2014
276
31
South East
I used to get Athlete's foot quite badly (my missus used to say it was the only athletic thing I did :). Prevention is most certainly better than cure. My regime is: wash feet well in the morning before getting dressed, coat toes and surrounding area with Savlon before donning a clean pair of socks. If I know I am going to do a lot of walking, I pop the Savlon and a spare pair of socks in my bag and change during the day if I feel it is necessary. I also make a point of getting out of my boots/shoes whenever possible and putting on a pair of sandals, which allows the feet to remain cool and dry. I tend to feel a slight tingling/itchiness between the toes before an outbreak, so at the first sign of this I wash and dry my feet and apply Dr.Scholl Athletes Foot Cream or Savlon if the former is not to hand.
 

Mike313

Nomad
Apr 6, 2014
276
31
South East
I wee on my feet when im having a shower this seems to work.

That brought back a long-forgotten memory. In the territorials, when I joined and was issued with my first pair of boots, we were told to pee in the boots and wear pee-soaked socks to help mould the boots to our feet and to prevent blisters. Never had trouble with athlete's foot back then, but did later on ....
 

cranmere

Settler
Mar 7, 2014
992
2
Somerset, England
I once bought a pack of knickers which had a slip of paper enclosed proclaming that "This garment is protected against athlete's foot." I don't think I want an athlete to put his foot there, thank you very much.
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,120
68
Florida
I once bought a pack of knickers which had a slip of paper enclosed proclaming that "This garment is protected against athlete's foot." I don't think I want an athlete to put his foot there, thank you very much.

Nor would I. But jock itch is essentially the same thing as athlete's foot.
 

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