There are several remedies that can be used to treat athlete’s foot. Most of them can be purchased over the counter from a pharmacy and used at home. Substances used to treat athlete’s foot are called antimycotics or fungicides (anti-fungal agents).
Most of the active ingredients are available in the form of locally used drugs such as sprays or creams and also in tablet form for systemic, internal use. The active ingredients clotrimazole and bifonazole are used particularly frequently. These usually have to be applied twice daily (depending on the preparation) for three to four weeks.
The newer active ingredient Terbinafine, on the other hand, normally only has to be applied once a day for one week. If a cream is used to treat athlete’s foot, the feet should be washed and then thoroughly dried before use. Afterwards, the affected areas and the adjacent skin are rubbed with a thin layer of the cream using the fingers.
After use you should definitely wash your hands. It is important to finish the treatment consistently, even if the symptoms seem to have disappeared, to prevent the infection from “flaring up” again. The main advantage over a mycosis pedis spray is that the cream not only treats athlete’s foot but also cares for the skin.
It contains no alcohol and moisturizes the skin, making it particularly suitable for treating cracked, scaly and dry skin on the feet. A possible feeling of tension of infected feet can also be relieved by applying a cream. Creams are produced by various manufacturers, some examples being Lamisil, Canesten® and Ratiopharm.
Through self-therapy, about 70% of all athlete’s foot fungi can be successfully treated. However, if there is no improvement of the symptoms, it is in any case necessary to consult a doctor.
