Does alcohol rub work for athlete's foot? How to treat and prevent athlete's foot?

Athlete's foot is a disease with a particularly large patient base, and people in humid areas are more likely to suffer from athlete's foot. For this reason, various folk remedies for treating athlete's foot are widely circulated among the people, for example, rubbing alcohol can treat athlete's foot. In fact, alcohol can kill bacteria, but not all athlete's foot symptoms are suitable for using alcohol. Here we will introduce to you the treatment and prevention methods of athlete's foot!

Can I use alcohol to treat athlete's foot?

Athlete's foot can be treated with alcohol wipes. Athlete's foot is a very common fungal skin infection. It is recommended to wipe the area with iodine cotton balls after washing your feet every night. After three to five minutes, use 75% medical alcohol to deiodine. Afterwards, wrap dry cotton strips between the toes before sleeping to keep the area dry. Athlete's foot is prone to recurrence after seven to ten consecutive days, so you should pay attention to wipe it frequently with iodine alcohol.

How to treat athlete's foot

(1) For patients with dyshidrotic eczema or mild maceration and erosion with a small amount of secretions, soak or wet compress the affected area with 1:6000 or 1:4000 potassium permanganate solution or 3% lead acetate solution every morning and evening for 20 to 30 minutes each time (the blisters can be punctured under sterile conditions), and wipe dry with a sterile cloth after soaking. Then choose the following agents for external application, such as benzoic acid/salicylic acid/iodine/potassium iodide/menthol (compound benzoic acid tincture), Castellan ointment, 5% ichthyol, 3% salicylic acid, 10% sulfur mud, or commercially available medicines, such as 2% clotrimazole cream, terbinafine cream, and bifonazole cream (choose any one), and use highly irritating agents with caution.

(2) For erosive types with more exudate, the above-mentioned potassium permanganate solution or Daribo solution for soaking or wet compress can be used. For those with secondary bacterial infection, 0.1% ethacridine (Livanol) can be added as appropriate. After the exudation stops and the erosion surface is alleviated, the above-mentioned sweat blister mud paste, half-dose of Wyeth tincture or commercially available antifungal cream can be used.

(3) The interdigital type can be treated in the same way as the dyshidrotic eczema type.

(4) For the scaly and keratotic type, the disease course is long and treatment requires patience. Start with tinctures with strong antifungal and exfoliating effects (need stronger penetration), such as compound kelp bark tincture or full dose of benzoic acid/salicylic acid/iodine/potassium iodide/menthol (compound benzoic acid tincture). You can also soak your feet in 10% to 30% acetic acid for 20 to 30 minutes each time. After the hyperkeratosis is significantly reduced, switch to a relatively weaker ointment, such as half a dose of compound benzoic acid ointment or 10% to 20% urea ointment, to consolidate the therapeutic effect and restore normal skin barrier function.

Prevention and care of athlete's foot

Pay attention to local hygiene. Socks should be washed and dried with soapy water frequently. Rubber shoes or plastic-soled shoes or boots should not be worn. Public slippers or foot cloths should not be used to treat excessive sweating of hands and feet and sweat blisters. Shoes should be exposed to the sun frequently or cotton balls soaked in formaldehyde (formalin) should be placed inside the shoes and sealed for 24 to 48 hours to kill fungi. In addition to local treatment, antibacterial agents may be used as appropriate for patients with secondary bacterial infection.