Click on the links below to go direct to the Plantar Wart topic you require or continue reading to cover each topic.
1. What is a plantar wart?
2. What do plantar warts look like?
3. Are plantar warts contagious?
4. What causes plantar warts?
5. Plantar wart treatment
A plantar wart is a wart that appears on the heel of the foot or the ball of the foot. They are called plantar warts because the bottom of the foot is known as the plantar surface of the foot. The simple act of walking or standing can produce pain when pressure is applied to these types of warts.
Emedicine1 Health states that plantar warts can be found in all age groups. However, these types of warts are most common in those who are 12-16 years old. Teenagers have not been exposed to the virus that causes warts long enough to develop a natural immunity. The elderly rarely get plantar warts.
What do Plantar Warts Look Like?
WebMd2 describes plantar warts as hard areas of thick skin. These areas are usually flat and may contain dark specks. When multiple plantar warts join they will form a large, flat cluster of warts. This is called a mosaic wart. These types of warts vary in size and shape.
Plantar warts are caused by the HPV virus. This virus is highly contagious and can live on hard surfaces for days. When the wart sheds skin cells, these cells contain HPV. An individual who comes into direct contact with these infected cells can get HPV if it can get into any tiny crack in the skin.
Because they are warts on the feet People who walk barefoot in public locker rooms, showers and around public pools are at risk for exposing themselves to the virus that causes plantar warts. The moist environment of these types of places helps the virus thrive. Plantar warts are contagious because the underlying virus is contagious.
HPV is the cause of plantar warts. There are over one hundred different strains of this virus. Strains one, two and four are responsible for plantar warts. There is no cure for HPV. However, as the body is exposed to the virus, the immune system will begin to develop antibodies that will destroy the virus.
If an individual has a weakened immune system due to poor nutrition or an underlying condition, warts can quickly grow out of control and medical or surgical intervention may be required.
Plantar Warts Treatment.
Plantar warts treatment can be done at home. A cost-effective way to try and treat plantar warts is to cover the warts with a small piece of duct tape. Leave this tape in place for several days. Remove the tape, soak the warts in warm water and dry the feet thoroughly. Replace clean pieces of tape over the warts again. Repeat this process until the warts are no longer visible – this can take several weeks or months to work.
Another solution you can try at home is an over the counter wart removal solution like Amoils Plantar Wart Removal Cream – Click Here to Visit Amoils . These come in several forms such as gels, natural acids and creams. There are also a number of natural ingredient wart removal creams that claim to remove plantar warts.
Plantar Warts Removal
If the home plantar wart treatments are not working, then it is time to see a doctor for plantar warts removal. Sometimes warts are resistant to over the counter treatment, or they are so painful it is impossible to wait for these methods to work.
A doctor can use cryotherapy to freeze the wart off. This type of treatment has a high success rate and usually does not leave a scar. In some cases, the doctor may decide to use an electric current to destroy the wart and then cut it out with a sharp instrument. However, this method can leave a scar, and the wart may return to form on the scar tissue.
When plantar warts are resistant to conventional treatments, the doctor may have to use immunotherapy to stimulate the immune system. Once the immune system is stimulated, it can develop antibodies and destroy the virus that causes warts.
Sources:
1 – Emedicine health
2 – Webmd
