What helps to get rid of athlete's foot?

Creams, gels and sprays for fungal infections are available from pharmacies without a prescription. All of these products contain a drug that stops the growth of the fungus or kills it.

Many of the more commonly used products contain drugs known as pyridines, allylamines or azoles.

• The pyridines include ciclopirox.
• The allylamines include terbinafine and naftifine.
• The azoles include bifonazole, clotrimazole, miconazole and oxiconazole.

Exactly how the treatment is used, and how long they have to be used for, depends on the product. Some products only need to be applied once a day, others have to be put on the affected skin twice a day. Most products have to be used for three to six weeks. Products that contain terbinafine are an exception. They often only have to be used once a day for one week.

You can find out exactly how to use the product by consulting your doctor, pharmacist or the package insert. It is important to continue the treatment as instructed, even if your skin looks healthy again.

Topical treatment is usually enough to get rid of athlete's foot. For example, studies on the effectiveness of allylamine products showed that, after six weeks,

• athlete's foot had cleared up in 17 out of 100 people who didn't treat it,
• and in 73 out of 100 people who used the medication.

Terbinafine isn't less effective than other medications with allylamine, even though it's used for just one week.

Azole medications are similarly effective.

The drugs that are used in topical medication for athlete's foot are well tolerated. They can cause slight reddening of the skin or a mild burning sensation, but other side effects are rare.

Athlete's foot is nearly always treated topically. Tablets are only considered if topical treatment isn't successful. It may also be a good idea if the infection has spread to one or more toenails, or if the infection is very severe.

The tablets taken to treat athlete's foot generally contain the active ingredients itraconazole or terbinafine. Itraconazole is usually taken once daily for four weeks (dose: 100 mg). Terbinafine is typically taken once daily for two weeks (dose: 250 mg). The treatment lasts longer if you also have a fungal nail infection. This is true for both medications.

Tablets for fungal infections cause more side effects than topical medications do. The possible side effects of itraconazole include headaches, dizziness, gastrointestinal (stomach and bowel) problems and rashes. Terbinafine can cause gastrointestinal problems and a temporary loss of taste and smell. But these kinds of side effects didn't last long in the studies. Because both medications can interact with other drugs, it's important to let your doctor know about any other medication you are taking.

There's a very small risk of serious liver damage. For this reason, people with a liver disease are only given these medications if it’s absolutely necessary.

Home remedies are sometimes recommended for the treatment of athlete's foot. Examples include herbal foot baths, or applying apple cider vinegar or tea tree oil. Studies on tea tree oil didn't prove that it was effective. No other home remedies have been tested in good-quality studies.