Athlete's foot treatment may focus on various aspects. First and foremost, the fungi should be eliminated. Athlete's foot may also cause various other skin problems, such as blisters or wounds, which need to be treated as well. Last, but not least, the patient will be instructed on how to prevent future infestation with fungi. Treating the blisters caused by the athlete's foot is important to prevent other complications.
Athlete’s Foot Blisters
Athlete's foot is a fungal infection that manifests most often through the occurrence of blisters. It is essential to establish if the blisters are caused by fungi or if there is another condition involved. Athlete's foot will cause blisters in between the toes and sometimes on the heel as well. The blisters will typically peel and may also crack, but this may also be indicative of psoriasis and other bacterial infections.
A dermatologist can establish if you are dealing with athlete's foot or other type of infection or skin condition.
Over the Counter Ointments
Most commonly, the athlete's foot treatment will consist of over the counter topical ointments. Tinactin is an effective fungal infection cream that can reduce the athlete's foot blisters, but may also be applied in other fungal infections (i.e. ringworm or jock’s itch) that affect the feet or the skin of the patient. The treatment with these over the counter creams should start giving results after 3 to 5 days of treatment.
Prescription Drugs
If the topical treatment is not helping, the dermatologist will recommend prescription medication, which will eliminate the fungal infection and reduce the blisters. Antibiotics may also be prescribed if there is a secondary bacterial infection.
The medication treatment should be taken for the time as recommended by the dermatologists. If the patient discontinues the treatment, this may lead to a new outbreak of the infection and the body may also build up immunity to the antibiotics, so these will no longer be effective.
Natural Remedies
There are also a few natural remedies that can be used to get rid of the athlete's foot blisters. There are a number of ingredients that may be used in treating the blisters, such as:
- Chamomile
- St. John’s wort
- Burdock root
These remedies may be applied as tinctures on the blisters or may be prepared in teas, and the blisters will be washed and covered in compresses with these teas.
There are also a few solutions that can be used to soak the feet. Salt can be mixed in the bath water and the feet should be kept in the bath for at least 15 minutes. The salt will penetrate the skin and will make a less appealing environment for the fungi. Baking soda paste can also be used for the area between the toes. The solution should be rubbed on the skin and then the feet should be washed thoroughly. Cornstarch powder can be added to soothe the skin.
