Home Remedies for Athletes Foot

Athlete's foot is the most common fungal infection of the skin. It's a fungal infection of the feet. It's also known as tinea pedis, or ringworm of the feet. The Trichophyton fungus is responsible for the redness, itching, cracking, and scaling of athlete's foot can also infect the scalp, where it causes hair loss and scaly patches; the body, where it causes round, red, scaly patches that itch; and the groin, where the so-called jock itch causes itching and thickening of the skin. It affects more men than women since men typically wear heavy, often airtight shoes, and fungus loves hot, dark, moist environments.

In most cases, the athlete's foot cause only bothersome redness, itching, flaking, ad scaling on the soles of the feet and between the toes. Though in severe cases, blisters form in the soles of the feet; fissures, or cracks, that weep fluid can as well open between the toes. These fissures are vulnerable to secondary infection. When the infection involves the toenails, it can cause the nails to become discolored and thick. Also, if left untreated, athlete's foot can infect other parts of the body.

Though some severe cases of athlete's foot require a doctor's care, most can effectively treat at home. The book "The Home Remedies Handbook" provide strategies that can help you soothe and heal athlete's foot and keep it from cropping up in the future.

• Avoid moisture. Fungus are often found in moist, dark environment/areas. So the first step includes keeping your feet as dry as possible.
• Dry between your toes too!
• Wash your feet twice a day with soap and water and dry them thoroughly.
• Try to go barefoot or wear open sandals whenever possible.
  
• There are available over-the-counter anti-fungal preparations that are very effective for most cases of athlete's foot.
  
• Mostly, people stop using the anti-fungal preparations as soon as the symptoms of athlete's foot infection go away. But the fungus may still be present. Persistence is important for a total rejection of fungus. Use the medication for three to six weeks to see improvement.
• The tannic acid found in tea is very soothing and helps kill the fungus. Soak your feet in quart of warm water containing six black tea bags.
• If the infection has caused redness and cracks between the toes, the fungal infection may be compounded by a bacterial infection. Soak your feet once a day for 20 minutes in two cap fulls of Betadine to one quart of warm water. And after the Betadine soak, dry your feet well, and apply anti-fungal medication.
• Don't use bleach. While the idea is to dry out the infection, avoid home remedies that involve strong chemicals and solvents, like bleach, alcohol, and floor cleaners.
  
• Ultra violet rays can help dry up the infection and kill active fungus on your skin. So tan your tootsies!
• If you have fungus on your feet, you have fungus on your shoes too. Treat your shoes with Lysol spray or an anti-fungal spray or powder every time you take off your shoes.
• On sunny days, take the laces out of your shoes, pull up their tongues, and set them in a sunny, well ventilated place. The heat and sunshine will help dry out the shoes, eliminate odor, and kill the fungus.
• Switch foot at least every other day. Wear one pair for a day, while you treat the other pair for a day, while you treat the other pair with sunlight and an anti-fungal spray or powder.
• When you have to wear shoes, opt for sandals or other opened-toed shoes, if possible.
• Socks made of natural fibers, like cotton and wool, help to absorb perspiration and keep feet dry.
• When you're in a public places likely to harbor athlete's foot fungus, like the locker room of your favorite gym, wear thongs to limit your exposure to fungus.
  

Home Remedies for Asthma

If you have asthma, you know the dreaded chocking sensation, the faintness, the anxiety. And when asthma attacks, it won't go away by itself. There are about five to ten percent of the population suffer from asthma. Asthma patients usually have trouble breathing properly since their lungs are supersensitive and easily provoked into constriction by a wide variety of outside factors, called triggers.

A scent of perfume, smoke-filled room, a friendly dog, a flowery garden, a strong wind or even a good laugh can set an asthma attack in motion. Triggers can be allergic or non-allergic, and reactions can be immediate or delayed. Whether asthma is severe, moderate or mild it is still possible to manage it. Doctors who specialize in treating asthma should see a doctor to be sure another cause of wheezing is not present and, if true atopic asthma is present, to develop a therapeutic program for managing the disorder.

In addition to working with your doctor, you can take measures to help control asthma. Tracking down the triggers and eliminate them from your life is the key. And here is how you can counter an asthma attack before it happens:

• Dust-proofing is a must. Since mites are the most common allergic asthma triggers.
• The spores of the fungi are the real problem, as millions of them float through the air to be inhaled in every breath, touching off an allergic reaction that can contribute to asthma.
• Avoid cutting grass or even being outside while grass is being mowed. Keep your windows closed as much as possible- pollen can get through screens, too- and use an air conditioner to cool your home instead. Room air purifiers are also available that can purify recirculated air, removing particles of all sorts that are suspended in the air and further cleansing the air by passing through a charcoal filter. After being outside in the midst of pollen, take off your clothes and wash them or at least run a vacuum over the articles of clothing. Wash yourself, too, and don’t forget your hair.
• The best thing to do is not to have a pet that can trigger your asthma. The dander, the dead, dry skin that flakes off, is the one that triggers asthma.
• Tobacco smoke can be irritant that trigger asthma as well as an allergen that touches off an allergic response leading to asthma.
• Rain tends to wash away roving allergen, pollutants and irritants. While each person responds to weather conditions and weather variations differently.
• Some foods like nuts, shellfish, milk, eggs, and strawberries, can result in an array of allergic responses, including asthma symptoms.
• A problem in the upper airways- like a respiratory infection- can cause trouble in the lower airways- the bronchial tubes and precipitate an asthma attack. For a person with asthma, having a good health can mean a dramatic lessening of symptoms.
• Research has shown that the more asthmatics exercise, the more exercise they can tolerate. Begin with short workouts and gradually increase them. At least at first, keep a bronchodilator with you. If you feel tightness in your chest and can’t work through it, use the device.
• Aspirin and certain products that contain aspirin can trigger asthma attacks in certain people.
• Breathing exercises provide a form of relaxation and can be of benefit to some patients during an asthma attack.
• If you are overweight, you and your doctor should work together to establish a diet plan that will reduce your calorie intake without depriving you of necessary nutrients.
• Asthma is an illness with both physical and emotional aspects. A positive attitude works wonders to enhance your other coping methods.
• Since stress and emotional upsets can trigger asthma attacks, it may be helpful to set aside time each day- preferably the same time- to practice some form of relaxation.