Plantars Wart
A
Plantars wart is a tough,
horny growth that develops on the
balls or heels of your feet.
The Plantars
wart grows inward and can be tender
and cause foot pain. The portion of
the wart under the skin is at least
twice the size as the part you can
see. Many times you will see a small
black pinpoint in the wart on the
bottom of your foot. This is
actually clotted blood vessels and
not wart seeds that many people tend
to believe.
Plantars wart
is caused by the human papilloma
virus and can be contagious. You can
contract this virus by walking on
contaminated surfaces such as public
locker room floors, public showers
and swimming pools.
There are many
different over the counter
treatments that you can utilize to
treat plantars wart. One type of
treatment is salicylic acid. Dr.
Scholl's Clear Away Plantar for
example is a 40 percent salicylic
acid solution that is applied to the
wart once or twice a day. This
solution peels off the infected skin
a little bit at a time. This can
take up to 3 to 4 weeks. The key to
this product working is the
consistency in using it each and
every day.
Crazy as it
sounds duct tape is another
treatment for plantars wart. With
this treatment, the plantars wart is
covered in duct tape for six days,
then soaked in water and gently
rubbed with an emery board. This may
take up to two months for the wart
to go away. Again, consistency in
the use of this treatment is the key
to its success. Duct tape for
plantars wart can be a treatment
alternative for children who may be
frightened of other treatments.
One of the
most common treatments for plantars
wart is freezing (cryotherapy). With
this treatment the doctor will apply
liquid nitrogen with a spray
canister or q-tip. The nitrogen
causes a blister to form around the
wart causing the dead skin to fall
off within a week. This type of
treatment may require trips to your
doctor every two to four weeks and
can cause slight to moderate pain.
If your
plantars warts do not respond to
these treatments, more aggressive
measures such as minor surgery,
laser treatments or immunotherapy
many be taken.
To reduce your
risk of plantars wart, do not go
barefoot in public areas, keep feet
clean and dry, avoid direct contact
with wart and do not pick at wart.
Most plantars
warts are not a serious health
concern. However, they can be
bothersome and painful and can
impact your quality of life. If
every step you take is painful, then
that is a problem and should be
treated. It is important to see your
medical doctor who can accurately
diagnose and appropriately treat
plantars wart.
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