Athlete foot and Urine

[FaHaD]

Athlete's foot (tinea pedis) is a fungal infection of the skin. The ringworm fungi grow best at 35C-degree when teh skin is moist (e.g sweaty socked foot). It infect the nails and the upper layer of the skin eating keratin.
http://www.orlandoskindoc.com/Tinea-Pedis.jpghttp://www.hipusa.com/eTools/webmd/A-Z_Encyclopedia/Athlete'sFoot.jpg

So where does the urine come to the story?

Treatment of ringworm involves keeping the skin drier and applying anti-fungal drugs.

However, Urine is found to be an effective way of treatment. peeing on your leg while bathing has been practice for long time to cure the ringworm infection...

do you know why?

[Teddy Yawza]

Nope, but I remember Madonna said It cured athlete's foot in an interview lol.

[HITMAN]

Great thread FaHaD!

But you know it's a controversial therapy & not evidence based

But men can urinate on their feet while bathing, how are women suppose to do that? :o

[$w€€ŧ¥]

!!
whyyyyyyy!!
there was something like that in a movie i saw once...:D

[Thalia]

Great thread FaHaD!

But you know it's a controversial therapy & not evidence based

But men can urinate on their feet while bathing, how are women suppose to do that? :o
What do you mean how can women do that? You just let it out! No rocket science involved! If you're in the shower and the water is off, the urine would pool in the shower tray beneath your legs, no?

[NaBHaN]

Nope, but I remember Madonna said It cured athlete's foot in an interview lol.

I was just about to say that..she mentioned it in her 1994 interview with david letterman..it was actually quite funny the way he got disgusted when she said that.

ah..madonna..the source of my enlightment. :p

[HITMAN]

the urine would pool in the shower tray beneath your legs, no?

Never tried it

Ok everyone, what's the reason that it helps treating ringworm infection (if it does)?

[Fdaitny]

In Friends, they said that peeing on the jellyfish (bite?) will make it go away? Lol! I guess pee is quite a cure! Lol! :p

[FaHaD]

Hitman, there is an evidence behind it...the evidence is not direct on the urine nature...actually there is a drug in the pharmacy who is based on this idea...

Fdaitny, the jellyfish bite can be relieved in teh same manner...

lets wait for more answers and then i will tell the basic science behind it.

[Arabian Prince]

I haven't actually heard of treating Athletes' Foot with urine. However, as Fdaitny has mentioned, I've heard of using urine to treat jellyfish stings.

If memory serves me correctly, I believe urine is used to treat jellyfish stings due to its relative acidic nature and the presence of ammonium (or was it ammonia?). In the case of jellyfish stings, I suppose it would neutralise the pH, which leads me to think that it could work in a similar way in the case of Athlete's Foot.

Now that's either a tiny bit right, or WAY off track :os

[Miss G]

lol, no idea why urine helps. will have to get back to you about that :D thanks for the info tho.... never know when it may come in use.... :rolleyes:

[FaHaD]

arb prince,, you are 100% correct regarding the jellyfish bite...
the jellyfish releases a concentrated acetic acid (glacial) which is a weak acid but it can burn the skin. Urine contains ammonia which is a weak base. Thus pH neutralization will relieve the burning...

what about the athlete foot....

[Arabian Prince]

If my assumption about urine working in a similar way in both cases still stands uncorrected, then I suppose that since Athlete's Foot is a fungal infection, then urine would also neutralize the relatively acidic ultimate growth condition of the fungi.

Basically the pH of urine would destroy the fungi's perfect living or growth condition, which will deteriorate the fungi with time.

Yes? :yes: No? :no:

[$w€€ŧ¥]

In Friends, they said that peeing on the jellyfishahaaaaa that is what i saw on the movie :D

come on FaHad...im waiting for the answer....wanna act smart infront of my family :p...lool this would be a nice topic over lunch

[FaHaD]

Over lunch........lady never discuss urine in lunch specially in a cold weather..

anyway, here is the answer...

the organic substances in teh urine acts as anti-fungal and some as anti-bacterial.. they include: Urea, uric acid and creatinine.

the main anti-fungal agent is UREA.... Biochemistry people use it to denature proteins...(denature= destroy protein foldings)

there are many Urea Paste in the pharmacies which are used to treat nail fungal infections..

here is the evidence:
peeing on the foot in shower relieves the infection but does not cure it.. The urine contain around 18% urea. It was shown by studies that urea must be 40% or above in order to cure the infection and have to be applied for several days. This is why all urea pastes in the market contain 40% or above of urea.

[$w€€ŧ¥]

Thaaank you FaHad...this was interesting to know beside the jelly fish ;)

[STING]

Thanksfor sharing some of what you do in shower FaHaD :p