PlanetRx - Learn More - Product Advice - Athlete's Foot Relief

When there's a fungus among us

You've seen the ads -- actors grimacing over feet on fire -- but rest assured that if you notice the warning signs, fungal infections can be stopped before they become serious. Conditions such as athlete's foot, ringworm, and jock itch are all fungal infections that often go untreated until they are extremely itchy and painful. Good hygiene is the first step in preventing these infections. But if a fungus does make itself at home on your body, there are plenty of nonprescription products to treat it.

Fighting Fungus

Fungal diseases are sometimes not taken seriously and treated simply as petty annoyances. This is not the best way to proceed. If your health is jeopardized for some other reason, fungal afflictions can erupt into conditions with serious consequences. Treat fungal diseases seriously -- use over-the-counter medications and eradicate them.

If the condition is accompanied by fever, dizziness, headache, shortness of breath, chest pain, stomach cramps, loss of appetite, or vomiting, consult your doctor immediately. These can indicate a condition more serious than a fungal infection.

Severe cases of fungal infection that have progressed to the point where they are bleeding or have become open sores should be looked at by a doctor as well.

Antifungal products are available in several forms -- ointments, creams, powders, liquids, and aerosol sprays. Powders and aerosol sprays are often used as additional treatment to creams, ointments, and solutions.

Caring for a Fungal Infection

If you take the following steps, you may not only speed the healing of your fungal infection, you may even be able to prevent future outbreaks of infection.

Wear flip flops or shower shoes in public locker rooms and showers.
Dry your feet completely, especially between the toes, and apply powder to absorb moisture before putting on clean socks and shoes.
Keep your groin area clean and avoid tight, constricting underwear. This goes for men and women alike.
Clean affected areas thoroughly with soap and water before applying medication.
Apply medication to dry skin twice daily for two weeks or as instructed by a doctor.
If the condition persists for longer than two weeks, consult a doctor for treatment.

Antifungals

Medications used to treat fungal infections of the skin. Common agents include clotrimazole, miconazole, povidone-iodine, tolnaftate, terbinafine, and undecylenic acid. They work by altering the fungal cell membrane to make it leaky. Until recently, tolfnaftate was the only product FDA-approved to prevent and treat athlete's foot. In May 1999, top-selling prescription medication terbinafine was made available over-the-counter as Lamisil at full prescription strength. Terbinafine differs from other over-the-counter antifungal medications in that it actually kills the fungi that cause the infection. It cures most infections in one to two weeks rather than four weeks.

Astringents

Agents that dry tissues. May be helpful in treating athlete's foot by keeping the feet dry. Examples of such products include Burow's solution and Domeboro's solution.

Ingredient		Description
Antifungals
Clotrimazole	?	At 1% concentration, effective against yeast infections, athlete's foot, jock itch, and ringworm.
Miconazole	?	At 2% concentration, a highly effective, broad-spectrum antifungal that works quickly and effectively against yeast infections, jock itch, athlete's foot, and ringworm.
Terbinafine	?	At 1% concentration, very effective against athlete's foot, jock itch, and ringworm. Differs from other over-the-counter antifungals in that it actually kills the fungi and cures infections in one to two weeks rather than four weeks.
Tolnaftate	?	Aside from terbinafine, the only nonprescription drug that has been proven safe and effective for preventing athlete's foot.
Undecylenic acid	?	Less potent than the other antifungals, with correspondingly low cure rates. It causes little irritation or other toxicity.
Astringents
Ingredient		Description
Aluminum acetate (conditionally approved)	?	Dries and soothes oozing athlete's foot symptoms. Used as pretreatment before resorting to antifungals. Safe but not proven effective.

FDA-Approved Uses

Aluminum acetate

For temporary relief of minor skin irritations due to poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac, insect bites, athlete's foot, or rashes caused by soaps, detergents, cosmetics, or jewelry.

Pretreatment

Clean and dry the affected area before applying any medication.
If you have reddened, oozing lesions, these must be relieved before antifungal treatment can start. Contact your doctor.
Use an aluminum acetate solution or Burow's solution on your feet to reduce swelling, inflammation, and oozing.
Once the inflammation and oozing have subsided, effective antifungal treatment can occur.

Removing Fungus from the Trenches

Fungal cures are not quick. They can take up to two weeks for jock itch and up to six weeks for athlete's foot.
Whether you are using sprays, powders, or creams for athlete's foot, apply them twice daily, morning and night.
Creams work the best because they can be rubbed into the skin. If you are using noncreams, be sure to thoroughly rub them into the affected area and surrounding areas.
For athlete's foot, treat the entire sole of the foot, in between the toes, and under the toenails.
Try to keep the affected areas as dry as possible. Moisture fosters fungal growth.
If after two weeks for jock itch or four weeks for athlete's foot, you do not experience improvement or if your symptoms worsen, stop using the medication and contact a physician.
Tolnaftate can be applied prophylactically one to two times daily after athlete's foot is cured to prevent reoccurrence.
Wash your hands with soap and water after each use to prevent spread of the infection.