Soaking feet in hot water does not help cure athlete’s foot, and people with the condition should consult a doctor or a pharmacist, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said.
Many popular remedies for athlete’s foot do more harm than good, the agency said, citing an article written by dermatologist Yang Li-chang (楊麗珍) in Food and Drugs Weekly.
Putting the afflicted foot in hot water or rubbing it with salt water, vinegar, petroleum jelly, toothpaste, ginger or other substances are some of the ineffective folk remedies being circulated on the Internet, Yang said.
As athlete’s foot is a fungal infection, and fungi thrive in hot and humid conditions, hot water can make the condition worse, she said.
Vinegar is an irritant that could kill the infected skin and expose the flesh beneath, which then leads to ulcers or cellulitis of the foot, she said.
Petroleum jelly is a treatment for winter eczema, but using it as a foot ointment would only create an ideal environment for the fungus, Yang added.
Other remedies for athlete’s foot that have not been tested by science are not likely to work and could be harmful to people’s health, she said.
People with athlete’s food should consult a dermatologist or a pharmacist and then purchase an FDA-approved drug, she said, adding that the instruction insert that comes with a medicine should be followed when applying it.
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