If we smell something that is sour-smelling scent, we can immediately tell that somebody has a foot problem. Or worse, you are not aware that you are smelling your own foot problem that is already a serious case. For those some who are having a difficulty of solving their foot problems, they are unaware that quick home remedies that can help to treat it. However, if the symptom persists, you may want to ask for the attention of the doctor as it is now a cause of another problem if you would not treat it immediately.

When we reach early childhood, we often soak our feet to any moist areas. As we are not concerned about the outcome when we do experimental things, there is always an unexpected result that can cause uncomfortable moments. This wass when we start to smell something unusual in our environment that is not familiar. As you ignore the smell, it keeps on coming back even if you are not doing anything. You will find out that the cause of the awful smell is coming from your own feet, which might shock you.
A clean feet rested in a colorful striped rug
A clean and hygienic feet drive away mold infectant
Most of us weren't able to treat any illnesses in our body unless it is now causing an uncomfortable thing that causes our routine to be disrupted. This is the case of our a person suffering from an athlete's foot. If the smell is already unbearable, that person will not seek for a professional intervention in order to cure their medical condition. As soon as the symptom subsides, the person will realize that they should always attend to any problems that their body encounters.

What is an athlete's foot?

If your feet smells really bad, it is surely suffering from athlete's foot. This is a medical term for a common skin disease that usually affects the foot. The scientific name of this disease is tinea pedis that is specifically known as fungal infection affecting the nails, the skin, or hair follicles. Mild athlete's foot can be easily treatable using home remedies. But for individuals who consistently ignore that they have this kind of disease, it can lead to a chronic problem that is more contagious to others. 

Athlete's foot is caused by a mold from the genus trichophyton. They are T. menta agrophytes, T. Rubrum, and T Tonsurans. These are mold that can be found on contaminated surfaces that is responsible for releasing a foul-smelling odor when they start to cause infestation to your feet. Severe athlete's foot problem requires rigorous treatment because the extent of infection may already have been attracting other microorganisms such as virus and bacteria to additionally infect your feet. 


A person may catch the disease through the following:
  • Going barefoot to a contaminated soil outdoors or floors outdoors.
  • Swimming in any body of water that is contaminated with mold.
  • Accidentally stepping directly to mildew, molds.
  • Using unwashed socks that are already contaminated with mold.
  • Sharing personal properties from other individuals with athlete's foot.
  • Poor proper foot hygiene.
  • An active skin infection that may lead to fungal infection.
  • Improper practice of foot care that may still lead to athlete's foot
  • Depressed immune system that can easily attract mold infection
  • A skin to skin contact such as when an infected foot rubs an uninfected foot.
Common signs and symptoms
  • Foul-smelling odor is the number one symptom that indicates an active athlete's foot problem.
  • Foot scaling is visible along the soles, inter-digital area, and at around the nails. 
  • Hypertrophy or thickening on the soles as well as on the inter digital area.
  • Greenish discoloration on the foot or the inter digital area resembling that of mold. 
  • Skin infections that is aggravated by the presence of mold infection.
  • Deforming nail beds of the toes due to fungal infection.
  • Itching sensation on the affected areas. 
  • Bullae or blisters observed in the affected area.
  • Pain felt on around the nails or on the infected parts of the foot.
  • Skin peeling is observed in some parts of the soles, nails, and other areas of the foot. 
Quick remedies

1. Washing your feet with soap: 
A set of three soap bars placed in a white tissue
Soap can loosen dirt and pathogen when rinsed on skin
For mild athlete's foot problem, washing your feet regularly will remove fungal agents easily. This is because the range of infection is not severe enough to ask for a more intensive treatment for your feet. Soaping and rubbing it on your feet with soap for about two to three minutes and then rinsing it with running water can effectively remove all dirt including infectious agents responsible for causing your feet to smell bad. 




2. Wash all your shoes or slippers regularly: 
Piles of three pairs of shoes in a shoe storage
Leaving unwashed foot ware aggravates mold infestation
It is important to wash your shoes with anti-bacterial agent regularly like every week if you only use it once or twice. It can regularly wash away potential infectious agents that can infect your feet with athlete's foot. Molds can easily form in moist areas where they can easily reproduce. Used shoes can harbor molds especially if they are not washed on a regular basis, causing these agents to stick to your socks and then penetrates through your foot. If you forgot to wash your foot wears after two weeks, you will notice that your shoes is already covered with mold. 

3. Always use a pair of socks that were already washed: Always wear socks that were already washed, which are already dry. Molds loves moisture, in which minutes after using your socks, the moisture from your foot is absorbed by your socks due to the heat it generates inside your shoes. If you reuse your unwashed socks, you are just making yourself as the primary care provider for the molds that will be infecting your feet. 

4. Use foot powder: 

Foot powder in a yellow plastic bottle
Foot powder helps to absorb moisture when used regularly
Foot powder are indicated for athlete's foot. This is because it contains talc, salycylic acid, and methyl salicylate that are active ingredients that can stop the spread of molds in your foot. Using foot powder can neutralize foot odor efficiently and it works to absorb moisture from both your feet as well as from the socks. Salycylic acid kills molds and other infectious agents that are responsible for causing athlete's foot. 




5. Using over the counter foot cream: 

Two over the counter anti-fungal creams with their boxes
Over the counter anti-fungalcreams can be used to treat athlete's foot
Over the counter creams and ointments are effective remedies to treat your feet infected with mold or fungi. These are anti-infective creams that aims to kill pathogenic substances that are responsible for causing your feet to smell bad. You can apply the cream to the inter digital areas on both feet after washing it with soap so that it will kill remaining fungi that are still locked inside the nails of your toes to prevent replicating.

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