Now accepting Telehealth appointments. Schedule a virtual visit.
A patient came to see the podiatrist when he noticed painful growths on his feet after his last swimming practice. Fearing that it would get worse or get in the way of his training, he wanted to get treatment for it. Now the only thing growing in his body is the grin on his face.
Plantar Warts are caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), usually on the top layer of the skin. While there are many different strains of the human papillomavirus, the strains that cause plantar warts are very common.
Plantar warts grow on the planter, which is the skin on the sole of the foot. Walking might be difficult or even uncomfortable due to the pain warts may cause. Some doctors use liquid nitrogen or laser therapy for wart removal.
Warts can often go away on their own, but they might take two or more years to disappear if left untreated.
Plantar warts are on the upper part of your skin and not deep-rooted, but they can look unsightly, and sometimes be painful to walk on. You should consider visiting a foot doctor for the best wart removal and treatment solutions.
People worry that warts might lead to cancer. Although there are more than 150 viruses that can cause warts, only 10% of them cause cancer. Warts have the ability to spread from one individual to another or from one part of the body to another. Accurate diagnosis is crucial since some skin malignancies may resemble a common wart.
There are a variety of different types of warts that can appear anywhere on the body.
Common Warts
Flat Warts
Filiform Warts
Genital Warts
You will know you have plantar warts when a wart appears on the bottom of your foot. The growth is typically about the size of a standard pencil eraser, but they can grow bigger. Small clusters of plantar warts, called mosaic warts, can develop on people with the HPV virus.
Most plantar warts don’t pose a severe health risk and frequently fade away on their own, especially in younger patients. You may want to remove warts for cosmetic reasons or possible risk factors. Common symptoms are:
A small, rough growth on the bottom of your foot, typically at the base of your toes, on the ball of your foot, or on the heel
Tiny blood vessels in the form of black pinpoints, often known as wart seeds,
The sole of the foot may have a collection of growths (mosaic warts)
A benign growth that obstructs the skin’s natural ridges and lines on your foot
Walking or standing can cause pain or soreness.
If you suspect that you have plantar warts, Dr. Lanier will look at the growth on your foot and conduct the necessary testing to make sure the growth is a plantar wart and not a common wart or other growth. Usually, the condition is diagnosed on the basis of a visual inspection alone.
Once diagnosed, Dr. Lanier will discuss wart treatment and wart removal options. Treatments can include excision or a topical wart remover. Sometimes, after your treatment, warts may reappear. This is a common issue with HPV and warts, so you may wish to work with the doctor for additional treatments to control the risk of recurrence.
There are steps you can take to significantly reduce your risk. The wart-causing HPV virus thrives in warm, dark, wet conditions. Make sure you are not walking in bare feet whenever you are in a gym locker room or around swimming pools. Additionally, you can stop foot warts by:
Do not lend your shoes or socks to others.
Keep your feet and shoes dry
Wash your feet often
