Plantar Warts: How to Get Rid of Them
Plantar warts require the expertise of a healthcare provider for proper treatment. Skip the home remedies if you want to get rid of them.
Warts can appear anywhere on the body, whether on the nose, on your fingers, on your toes, or on your nose alone. The most common skin conditions are eczema and psoriasis. They are also highly contagious.
In addition to abnormal growths, warts can be caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which leads to cervical cancer more often than bumps on the skin.
As a result of HPV infection, the bump becomes ugly, rough, and swollen as a result of cuts or breaks in the skin. Warts are transmitted through contact because of a viral infection. Warts can spread from anything that comes into contact with them, such as hands, towels, socks, or the floor.
The presence of warts on your feet can be uncomfortable and unsightly.
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How painful are warts on your feet compared to those elsewhere?
In most cases, warts are not a problem to have. They stay on your skin until they disappear on their own or when they are removed. Plantar warts on the bottom of your feet are less likely to cause problems.
Since plantar warts are located on the soles, heels, toes, and balls of your feet, you feel like your shoes have a rock in them.
The most pressure is exerted on your feet when you stand or walk, leading to plantar warts. Therefore, standing or walking more will exacerbate the problem and push the wart further inward.
As a result of all that pressure, the plantar wart flattens and shrinks. Thus, it resembles a callus rather than a wart. Make sure to squeeze it to see if you can tell the difference. Plantar warts are painful when squeezed, but calluses are not.
Typically, pumice stones, nail files, and emery boards are used to remove calluses; however, they should not be used to remove plantar warts.
Plantar warts: how should they be treated?
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As with other warts, plantar warts can vanish on their own after two or three years. If you worry about it, don't. It is common for plantar warts to disappear on their own.
Waiting until your plantar warts get worse or spread to other areas of your feet is not a good idea. Relief is urgently needed.
The treatment for warts sold at pharmacies is often topical wart removers. Over-the-counter creams and liquids are not effective. Warts on the plantar surface of the foot are too deep to be removed. Wart seeds are deep in the soles of your foot, so even if you remove the outer layer, the wart will grow back.
Plantar warts spread if you apply too much, damage the surrounding area, and expose your skin to further infection. Over-the-counter wart removers can actually cause more harm than good. They contain acids and chemicals that damage the skin.
Instead of removing plantar warts on your own, consult your primary care provider.
A simple foot examination can usually diagnose plantar warts. A small amount of skin can be trimmed to determine if the wart bleeds - a clear indication it's not a callus.
In addition to removing warts, they stimulate the immune system to identify the virus and prevent them from recurring.
Prescription-only anti-wart medication
Wart removal medications available over the counter are less effective than stronger prescription medications. Plantar warts are removed layer by layer using these solutions, just as they are with the widely available options. To ensure they are completely gone, you should follow up with your provider after treating plantar warts at home with a prescription-strength medication.
Plantar warts can be frozen
An effective way to remove plantar warts is to freeze them with liquid nitrogen. A blister forms over the spot as a result of the destruction of the tissue. Dead skin will disappear within a few weeks.
The process of freezing off plantar warts is more painful than freezing off regular warts, and chemists have a harder time reaching them due to their depth. Multiple freeze-off treatments spaced two to four weeks apart may be necessary in order to remove the entire wart.
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Immunotherapy for warts
Plantar warts are caused by HPV infection, and they can be treated with immunotherapy by stimulating your immune system. When other treatments fail, a topical solution or injection can be used to stimulate your immune system.
Plantar wart surgery
Plantar warts can be removed through surgery if all other treatments fail and you are still suffering from pain. Scarring is always a possibility with surgery, so it should be your last resort.
Your provider will determine which method is best for removing warts based on your specific situation.
- Infected wart tissue is removed with an electric needle during electrosurgery.
- An instrument similar to a spoon is used to dig out the plantar wart.
- Plantar warts are treated with lasers to burn the tiny blood vessels inside them. After a while, the wart falls off as the infected tissue dies. Laser surgery leaves fewer scars than other surgeries.
How can warts be prevented from returning?
If you've already had plantar warts, you're more likely to get them again. The following basic hygiene tips may help you reduce your risk of recurrence:
- You should never touch warts! They spread this way. Keep them away from picking, scratching, or touching them at all costs. Do not touch other people's warts. Once you have come in contact with a wart, you should wash your hands and any other parts of your body thoroughly.
- To maintain good foot hygiene, wash your feet regularly and dry them thoroughly afterward. In case of wet socks or shoes, change them immediately. Bacteria thrive in moist environments.
- Protect your feet from abrasions by wearing shoes or keep existing cuts from becoming infected by wearing shoes. HPV is spread by cutting or breaking your feet. It is recommended that you wear flip-flops or other footwear in these areas in order to prevent infections. People who walk barefoot in swimming pools, locker rooms, and other public areas are more likely to contract HPV.
There is less chance that proper foot hygiene is practiced in public places, where children and teenagers are more likely to frequent. By regularly checking your own and your children's feet, you can catch plantar warts early.
You can contact our office at 949-588-8833 , or visit our website at https://www.ocfootdoctor.com/ Our offices are located in Laguna Hills, Irvine, Mission Viejo, Aliso Viejo, Lake Forest, Foothill Ranch, and Costa Mesa.
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