Athlete's Foot

Just another post about fungal infections? Far from it! Though Google may show you a paid link to a fabulous ointment, or to that sweat-wicking, synthetic pair of socks you just must get, I'm actually just going to hand you the intellectual property, the real reason that Athlete's Foot keeps coming back, and why it takes more than clotrimzole and tee tree oil to clean the fungus out for good.

So why does foot fungus take so long to treat, and why does it often come back within weeks of stopping treatment? Well, this pattern of remission and relapse is exactly what you would expect to see when treating the symptoms instead of the causes. It's like the proverbial plugging of the dam. Nobody expects that leak to stay plugged after they've pulled out the finger. But somehow when it comes to our bodies, western medicine has us totally duped into thinking that way. We buy pill after potion, just to prop up the profit margins of the pharmaceutical establishment. How dumb can we be? Pretty dumb - it seems.

Foot fungus is first and foremost a type of fungus, and it's conventional wisdom to think that mushrooms flourish in humid environments. Therefore victims of this unsightly condition are always advised to keep their feet dry, change their socks often, and wear open-toed shoes. But those of us who have suffered know very well: there's no way we're going to wear shoes that show these ugly toes to anyone else. And furthermore we know from experience that foot fungus grows anyway, rain or shine: in the desert sun, in salty water, in dead sea mud, there's no more than a mild difference to the growth pattern of the fungus.

A wet contact does permit the fungus to migrate. That is a problem for yoga practitioners, and for others who roll around in puddles of their own sweat. They  should be especially ultra careful with Chadrangha, the Sanskrit word for push-up - because even the most bio-green yogis use yoga mats made of waterproof foam, which makes a closed, sweaty circuit between the feet and the face. 

But wait. Haven't I been saying that humidity is not a factor? And now I seem to be saying that it is. Well, it is a factor in transmitting the fungus. It's like the new Boeing 787 - a great way to get around, but it won't get you through passport control. Humidity is the plane, but the visa is a separate matter. Those of us who suffer may have observed that Athlete's foot does not spread all over the foot, but instead seems to have its favorite spots. It will settle into a particular pattern, without colonizing an equally good-looking patch of skin near by. The toe nails are the most extreme example of this inexplicable preference. First of all, toe nails rarely get wet, and when they do, they get equally wet. Yet it so happens in some cases that Athlete's Foot will infest two toes but avoid completely the juicy toe in between. And that, right there, might be the last nail in the coffin for the humidity theory.

FOR A FREE AND PRACTICAL treatment for foot fungus

Click on