Foot problems

[Guest pavlovadancer]

Lately, I have developed dry, cracking, peeling skin between my fourth and fifth toe. I don't think it's athlete's foot, but perhaps a similar fungal infection... Do you know of any over-the-counter creams that I can buy? Thanks. Are there any hygiene things I have to do?

[Victoria Leigh]

Mr. Johnson should be here soon, and he is our expert on this kind of thing. I would say that you should find out what it is and get a prescription medication if there is any kind of infection. In the meantime keeping the area very clean and dry would be important.

[Mel Johnson]

OK, Thanks, Ms. Leigh; pavlovadancer, what you need is some form of mycocide (fungus-killer). A very effective one is Absorbine Jr., even if it does sting. There is alcohol in it, so it helps dry the field. For a gentler treatment, try dabbing Listerine (!!!) directly on the affected area. Believe it or not, that's one of the things the stuff was originally formulated to treat, so you can use it at either end, as mouthwash or as footwash! Keeping the field clean and dry is indeed a main feature of home care, and if these don't work, then go for a physician's help.

[Guest pavlovadancer]

OK, Thanks you guys!

[Guest pavlovadancer]

Is it possible that this might affect the hands? I actually posted this quite some time after the fungal infection started, and originally thought it was ezcema. My finger tips are dry and peely. I tried applying Hazeline Snow, but it didn't seem to work, so I applied tea-tree (my mom's cure-for-everything).

 

I'll be going to Guardian (a pharmacy/shop) tommorrow, and check out what they have by way of mycocides.

[Mel Johnson]

It's just possible, pavlovadancer. When I was in Thailand, I had a fungus infection of the hands that responded to Listerine washes. See if you can talk to the chemist and get some substance with thymol as one of the ingredients.

[Guest pavlovadancer]

I've just bought the Listerine thing. You said to dab it onto the affected area. But because the one of affected area is, well, my hands, I'm not sure if it would be practical to do that, seeing it would be wiped off by typing, writing etc etc... Should I soak my hands in hot water / Listerine combo? Also, I happen to have a Lemongrass Salts for foot baths (Body Shop), and read somewhere that lemongrass is beneficial for athlete's foot. Would it help soaking my feet in lemongrass?

 

Thanks for your help!

 

P.S: The very "enlightening" instruction on the Listerine label:

Use Cool Mint Listerine full strength twice a day. Rinse for 30 seconds and gargle (I get this lame but somewhat amusing picture of feet and hands "gargling"). Then expel the liquid (you are expelled!).

[Mel Johnson]

Just wash your hands with it. All that is needed to stop the fungus on the hands (if that's what it is) can be absorbed in a few seconds. Morning and evening, and you should stop the progress of the fungus, and the body can take over repairing itself.

[Guest pavlovadancer]

Thank you very much Major Mel. The Listerine seems to be working. How long would it take for the fungus to completely go away? A week?

[Mel Johnson]

Mine took two weeks to go away completely, but then I was hammering and wrenching away at an airplane and opening new little cuts and such, providing the fungus with new places to live. You'll probably have better luck than I.