You don't have to be a jock who spends a lot of time in the locker room in order to get a foot fungus. Athlete's foot or tinea pedis can also occur in kids and adults that don't spend lots of time playing sports. Nothing could be more embarrassing than taking off your shoes and socks and having the fungus unintentionally advertised by your own feet.

The symptoms include itching, scaling, peeling plus flaking of the skin in and around the toe area. Unfortunately, due to the nature of fungus, it has over an eighty percent chance of afflicting other parts of the body, including the calves, the legs and even the groin area. Fortunately, this condition can be controlled using some inexpensive home remedies. There are also over the counter and prescription formulas for more severe cases.

Here are some measures to help control the problem:

First of all, don't share other people's socks or shoes. Kids often loose socks and may just pick up a siblings socks or a friend's instead. Wear cotton and not nylon socks or stockings. It is best to not risk an infection. Air dry the feet also so that moisture won't accumulate. Fungus loves moisture and keeping the feet dry is essential. Try to not go barefoot.

Tea tree oil is a popular home remedy for foot fungal conditions. Tea tree oil kills bacteria, fungus and is also a very good antiseptic.  It can take three to five weeks to see a difference and it's best to use this twice a day on the area.

Another natural home remedy for athlete's foot is to use ginger root. People believe that it's due to the caprylic acid that this helps the infection clear. Take an ounce of ginger and put in a cup of boiling water. Let this sit on stove for twenty five minutes on very low. Once the mix has cooled down it can be applied directly to the foot area.