How To Treat Plantar Warts
If you are a gym or community pool members, you may be susceptible to contagious bacterial, fungal, or viral diseases like Plantar Warts or Athlete’s Foot. Not everyone necessarily gets them, but when you’ve got plantar warts (warts on the bottom of the feet), they can become painful. You can identify them by characteristics including: clear or white raised bump(s), bumps that can be painful when squeezed, bumps that form in clusters, and tiny brown spots on the surface due to dried blood in infected blood vessels.
Warts, including plantar warts, are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV). If you’ve got a break in the skin (rash or cut) of the feet, HPV can enter and cause a wart. These viruses like moist environments like locker room floors or community pools.
Prevention Tip: Wear non-slip flip-flops or easily cleanable sandals in these areas to reduce contagious risk. Also, practice good hygiene and wash your feet daily. Finally, don’t share towels or shoes with those who have warts.
The virus can penetrate deep into the cells of the ball of the feet or at the heels due to the pressure you put on these areas while standing or walking. The added pressure on the wart bumps can cause thick calluses and pain, especially when standing or walking.
Pain Reduction Tip: Use soft pads or cushion insoles to reduce pain and pressure on the plantar warts.
Sometimes plantar warts can go away even without treatment. In most cases, however, they need to treatment to get rid of the unsightly bumps, reduce pain, and prevent cluster warts. Worse case scenario, plantar warts can even lead to a type of skin cancer.
There are several home treatment options including:
A warm foot soak and filing of the callused area with an emery board
Over-the-counter salicylic acid treatments (gel, cream, or ointment)
Over-the-counter cryotherapy
If the home treatments do not work, our podiatrist can help you at the office:
Cut or shave the warts
Freeze the warts with stronger cryotherapy treatments
Burn off the warts with prescription strength chemicals or acids on the warts
If you’ve got an ongoing plantar wart issue, make an appointment with us at PerfectFeetCare Podiatry Centers. Our podiatrists will assess your feet and find the right treatment for you. Call us at our Miami (305-225-4277) or Hialeah (305-246-7437) offices today!
