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Summer approaches at last, the season so many of us look forward to all year, which typically represents vacation, fun in the sun, new adventures, and other enjoyable activities. It is also great weather for healthy outdoor pursuits of all kinds, making it easier and more inviting to be physically active. It is the season when we often feel our best ? from head to toe.
Speaking of toes, diligent foot hygiene takes on a whole new significance in the warmer months, when bare or sandal-clad feet are on daily display. Foot hygiene might be defined as healthy, daily self-care for your feet. To best optimize this practice in preparation for summer, it helps to know what to watch out for, as well as what you can do to prepare for healthy, pretty feet and toes.
It might be said that an ounce of preventive foot care is worth a pound of cure. Diligent foot maintenance starts by protecting your feet and toes from avoidable problems with daily habits such as:
- Ensuring toenails are kept neatly clipped (always trim straight across the top to avoid hangnails)
- Pushing back the cuticles when they are soft after your daily bath or shower
- Exfoliating feet to remove dead skin cells
- Removing built-up callouses and preventing them in future by buffing away hard, dead skin cells with a pumice stone, on the heels and ball of the foot especially.
- Ensuring your footwear is comfortable, protective, and properly fitting, which can reduce your risk of blisters, bunions and other problems linked to overly tight, chafing or ill-fitting footwear.
What about foot fungal infections?
Foot fungal infections rank among the more serious foot conditions. Ideally, we would avoid them altogether, but that may be easier said than done. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), toenail fungal infections, also known as onychomycosis, become more likely as we get older. According to an article in the
American Family Physician journal,
onychomycosis is a fungal infection of the nails that causes discoloration, thickening and separation from the nail bed. Onychomycosis occurs in 10 percent of the general population, 20 percent of persons older than 60 years and 50 percent of those older than 70 years.
What causes toenail fungal infections?
Onychomycosis, or toenail fungus, may be caused by a variety of organisms, but most cases are linked to dermatophytes, a pathogenic fungus that grows on skin, mucous membranes, hair, nails, feathers and other body surfaces, causing ringworm and related diseases. Once infected with fungus, toenails may start to take on a yellow cast, and you may observe buildup beneath the toenail, separating the nail from the nail bed. Without treatment, the situation can escalate, potentially resulting in an itchy, burning rash with painful, infected skin around the toes.
How should you treat a fungal toenail infection?
If you think you have a foot or toenail-related infection, in most cases you can start with
over-the-counter topical remedies. If after several weeks, the infection worsens, however, especially if you experience swelling of the afflicted area, you may want to be evaluated by a healthcare practitioner. She or he would typically examine the foot and take some nail clippings or scrape debris from under the nail for further review. This approach can help rule out other conditions, such as psoriasis, can mimic a fungal infection of the nail.
It is well advised to seek medical attention sooner, however, if you have an immune system disorder, or if you are diabetic, due to the risks of diabetic neuropathy. Also known as nerve damage, diabetic neuropathy causes a loss of feeling in the feet, resulting in cuts, sores and ulcers that might go dangerously unnoticed, even when infected.
For most people, treatment for onychomycosis?toenail fungal infection?depends on the severity of the problem as well as the type of fungus causing it. According to the Mayo Clinic, health care providers usually prescribe
oral antifungal drugs, which can help a new nail grow free of infection, gradually replacing the infected portion. It may take four months or longer to eliminate an infection. However, treatment success rates with these drugs appear to be lower in adults over age 65. It should also be noted that oral antifungal drugs may cause side effects, such as rash and liver damage, and could also interfere with other prescription drugs.
The upshot is that, as we get older, not only is the onychomycosis more common, but it takes longer to heal, making prevention especially important for seniors. Additionally, even after proper treatment, there is a 50 percent rate of recurrence, either because of reinfection or lack of ‘mycological cure,’ a term used to describe the successful treatment of a fungal infection, or mycosis, in the nails.
How to get rid of toenail fungus naturally†
The good news is that for most people in good health, onychomycosis appears to respond well to natural solutions, one of which is bee propolis extract. Bee propolis is a mixture of tree resin, beeswax and enzymes manufactured by bees from resin/sap they have collected from tree buds, flowers and other botanical sources. Thick, sticky, and dark brown in hue, propolis (also called “bee glue”) is used by bees to seal and protect the hive.
Humans have relied on propolis?which is rich in protein, amino acids, vitamins, minerals and flavonoids?for various purposes since ancient times. Early civilizations were said to have applied it topically for skin issues and consumed it orally to support many different areas of health. Several studies have shown that
propolis extract has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antifungal properties, making it a “promising alternative in the treatment against fungi.”
† You can find high-quality bee propolis extract in tincture form, such as
Nature's Answer Propolis Gluten Free-1000 mg., as well as easy-swallow capsules, with this
Bee Propolis Extract 500 mg formula.
†
Other natural foot care treatments include
Topricin Foot Therapy Cream, a pain relieving, fragrance-free, homeopathic healing cream patented for neuropathy (nerve damage). Along with supporting a healthy anti-inflammatory response, this foot therapy cream may help reduce swelling, stiffness, numbness, tingling and burning pain associated with various foot ailments.
†
Badger Organic Foot Balm Peppermint & Tea Tree may also have topical benefits, as one study found that
80 percent of onychomycosis patients treated with tea tree oil improved rapidly with no relapse occurring in healed patients.
† Earth Therapeutics
Foot Repair Therapeutic Balm is also formulated with the antiseptic properties of Australian tea tree oil, plus aloe vera, chamomile and other nourishing botanicals to comfort and revive dry, damaged feet.
Quantum Athlete's Foot Cure is another antifungal formula, featuring a unique blend of herbs, essential oils and topical nutrients, and
Marie Originals Athletes Foot Relief Spray is an earth-derived, homeopathic remedy with echinacea, apple cider vinegar, essential oils, potent herbs and bentonite clay designed to soothe itchy skin, combat fungus, ease irritation, eliminate odor and support natural healing
To exfoliate tired, chapped feet so they can more effectively soak up replenishing moisture and therapeutic botanicals, give them weekly attention with
Deep Steep Premium Beauty Therapeutic Foot Scrub Candy Mint. Once you slough off dead skin cells, lavish freshly exfoliated feet with a dense, emollient cream such as
Shikai Borage Therapy Foot Cream (Fragrance Free) before snuggling into a pair of
Earth Therapeutics Aloe Moisture™ Socks, which, when worn overnight, let you wake up to silky, smooth, healthy feet. These socks make a wonderful gift as well.
As for general, preventive foot care, you may wish to consider
Burt's Bees Coconut Foot Cream which is enriched with a softening blend of super-saturated coconut oil and a tingling hint of peppermint for smooth, pampered feet.
As we now know, it is easiest to cultivate healthy, pretty feet when we are paying attention and incorporating smart, daily self-care. Cheers to putting your best foot forward!
†These statements have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_text_separator title="Featured Products" border_width="2"][vc_row_inner equal_height="yes" content_placement="middle" gap="35"][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="176119" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1719347915586{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/quantum-athletes-foot-cure"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="176120" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1719348012927{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/marie-originals-skin-nail-fungus-ointment"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="176118" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1719348383730{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/home-health-antifungal-lotion"][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]
