Getting rid of warm-weather foot fungus
Q: Whenever the weather gets warm, I know athlete's foot is sure to follow. Yesterday my feet began to itch, and when I looked, I had signs of fungus between several toes.
Do you know of a home remedy for this condition? I have been plagued with athlete's foot for decades, and have used drugstore products without much success. They hold the fungus at bay for a while, but then it always comes back.
A: There are numerous home remedies for athlete's foot. We can't promise that any one of them will work better than drugstore creams, but they might help.
Some people find that soaking feet in a solution of half vinegar and half water several times a week is a cheap-and-easy way to overcome the fungus that causes athlete's foot.
One very old-fashioned, if slightly unappealing, option is to soak the affected feet in urine. One reader wrote: "My ex-wife was a nurse, and she convinced me to try it. It worked like a charm for my athlete's foot. I had tried many different creams through the years, and it always kept coming back. I have now had 15 years with no athlete's foot. Try it; the only thing you have to lose is your fungus."
One ingredient in urine is urea. This natural nitrogen-containing compound made by the body can fight foot fungus in concentrations of 20 to 40 percent (Cutis, May 2004).
Q: Two years ago, my doctor said my good cholesterol was too low and asked if I was using artificial sweeteners in sodas. I wasn't drinking any sodas, but the next two checkups showed the same cholesterol counts.
She insisted I must be using artificial sweeteners and urged me to check everything I put in my body. I found artificial sweetener in a medicine the dentist had prescribed for me to treat a common dental condition. I swished and brushed with this blue liquid every morning and night.
I told my dentist, and she recommended using tea tree oil toothpaste instead. After six months, my good cholesterol count is going up, and my dentist can't believe that the tea tree oil has done more for my mouth than the original medicine.
A: We weren't familiar with the association your doctor uncovered between low HDL (good) cholesterol and artificial sweeteners. When we looked for research, however, we found a study showing that artificial sweeteners can disrupt the beneficial function of HDL cholesterol (Molecules and Cells, May 2011).
Tea tree oil comes from the Australian tree Melaleuca alternifolia. It has antimicrobial effects that can be helpful in the mouth (American Journal of Orthodontic and Dentofacial Orthopedics, February 2014).
Q: My allergies cause me to sneeze excessively when I get up in the morning. Eventually the sneezes calm a bit, but I sniffle throughout the day, which drives my wife crazy.
I am concerned about the long-term effects of antihistamines and nasal sprays. Is there an alternative to these medications?
A: There are actually a surprising number of options, ranging from stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) supplements and vitamin C to butterbur (Petasites hybridus) and NasalCrom nasal spray (cromolyn, originally derived from bishop's weed or Ammi visnaga).
You can find out much more about these options in our book "Best Choices From The People's Pharmacy" (online at www.PeoplesPharmacy.com). You also will learn about HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters for the home.
In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of this newspaper or email them via PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their newest book is "Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them."
This story was originally published June 9, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Getting rid of warm-weather foot fungus ."