Plantar Warts: Identification, Risk Factors, and Treatment
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Plantar warts are small growths that develop on the skin of the heels or other bodyweight bearing areas of the feet. Although plantar warts can develop on any area of the foot, they typically grow on the bottom side.
The pressure caused due to the bodyweight results in these warts growing inward beneath the hard and thick layer of the skin. Most of the time, people find these warts bothersome and choose to get them removed from an expert wart removal doctor.
If you are a resident of Mt. Pleasant, MI, and are currently experiencing symptoms of plantar warts, then this blog is for you. This blog mainly focuses on the causes, risk factors, and treatment options of plantar warts.
Types of Plantar Warts
Plantar warts are of two types:
Solitary Warts: A solitary wart is typically a single wart. It changes its shape and increases in size to eventually multiply and form additional satellite warts.
Mosaic Warts: These warts are a cluster of several small warts that grow together closely in one area. They are more difficult to treat than solitary warts.
Identification of Plantar Warts
- By their location: Plantar warts commonly occur on the soles and ankles of the feet.
- By their size: After some time, they rapidly develop and become quite large, which can cause pain and discomfort.
- By their growth pattern: The growth of plantar warts on the soles of the feet is inward due to the bodyweight applied while standing and walking.
Causes of Plantar Warts
- Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the main cause of plantar warts. This virus is quite common and has more than 150 strains. However, only a few strains can cause warts.
- It usually takes two to six months to develop plantar warts after getting exposed to the virus. Every person’s immune system responds differently to the HPV virus.
- The virus enters through the small cuts on the skin.
Risk Factors of Plantar Warts
- People having a family history of warts.
- A person who works at a slaughterhouse or a butcher’s shop.
- A person who uses communal showers, for example at a swimming pool or a sports academy.
- People having a weak immune system.
- People who are already diagnosed with eczema.
Treatment Options for Plantar Warts
The treatment options which are effective to treat plantar warts are:
- Peeling Medications Containing Salicylic Acid: Stronger peeling medications with salicylic acid are used to remove the layers of a plantar wart. These medications may also stimulate the ability of the immune system to fight plantar warts.
- Cryotherapy (Freezing Medicine): Cryotherapy involvesthe application of liquid nitrogen to the plantar wart, either by a cotton swab or with a spray. The doctor numbs the area before starting the treatment. A blister is formed around the plantar wart, which sloughs off within a week.
- Immune Therapy: Immune therapy involves the usage of solutions or medications to stimulate the body’s immune system to fight plantar warts. These solutions are injected into warts by a doctor.
- Laser Treatment: The Pulse-dye laser treatment is used to burn closed tiny blood vessels of the plantar warts. After this, the infected tissue of plantar wart eventually dies and falls off.
Talk to a Doctor
Most commonly, plantar warts occur in children, adolescents, and the elderly. If you currently live in Mt. Pleasant, MI and any of your family members have plantar warts and their condition is getting worse day-by-day, then it is recommended to consult wart removal doctor in Mt. Pleasant, MI for immediate treatment.
Keeping in mind the contagiousness of plantar warts, many wart removal doctors recommend an immediate treatment because even a single wart can give rise to other additional warts.