What causes warts on feet & how to get rid of feet warts?

 

 

What is a plantar wart?

Warts on the feet are called verrucas (or verrucae). They are also known as Plantar's warts. While regular warts are usually harmless (but may be unsightly), warts on the feet can be a different matter and are often very painful.

Sometimes plantar warts are confused with corns. They can be dotted with tiny clotted blood vessels that look like dark pinpoint spots. The pressure of walking or standing on them flattens them, making them very painful.

What does a plantar wart look like?

 

There are many types of warts varying in appearance. Plantar warts appear on the feet's soles, often having a hard, thick surface. They may cause discomfort when walking or standing. Warts are easy to identify just by looking at them; view our photo gallery of warts.

 

What causes warts on feet?

A highly contagious agent causes plantar warts. The agent can enter the skin through small cuts, breaks, or other weak spots, often on the soles of the feet. Plantar warts can also spread through contact with someone with the agent. The agent thrives in warm, moist environments, such as communal showers or swimming pools, which is why plantar warts are more common in these settings.

The wart agent causes all types of warts. Strains cause plantar warts numbered 1, 2, and 4, which means they were the first of the warts family to be identified. Each person's immune system responds differently to the agent. Even people in the same family react differently.

Can plantar warts be cancerous?

Plantar warts are caused by highly contagious agents, a type of wart agent that can cause changes in the skin cells. In rare cases, certain types of wart agents can lead to a malignant growth on the skin that can lead to severe complications. However, plantar warts are not the same as these types of warts and are not associated with an increased risk of complications. Plantar warts are benign (non-cancerous) growths that typically do not cause severe health problems. However, if you have a plantar wart that is causing pain or discomfort or continues to spread, it is essential to see a doctor for treatment.

How do plantar warts spread? 

Plantar warts spread via direct contact with the agent that causes warts and indirect contact with a surface contaminated. For example, if someone with plantar warts walks barefoot on a surface, the wart can spread to that surface and remain there for an extended period. If someone else walks barefoot on that surface, they can become infected with the wart. Plantar warts can also spread through contact with items contaminated with the agent, such as towels, shoes, or socks. If the agent comes in contact with skin cuts or breaks, plantar warts can also spread from one part of the body to another.

How to prevent plantar warts

To prevent plantar warts, it is essential to avoid walking barefoot in public places, such as communal showers or public swimming pools. You can also prevent spreading the agent by not sharing towels or other personal items with someone with plantar warts. If you already have plantar warts, it is vital to cover them with a bandage and avoid touching them, preventing the agent from spreading to other parts of your body or to other people. It is also essential to keep your feet clean and dry and to avoid walking in damp or wet environments, as this can make you more susceptible to the agent. Finally, boosting your immune system can help to prevent plantar warts, so be sure to eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep.

Although the strains that cause plantar warts are not easily transmitted by direct contact from one person to another, the agent does thrive in warm, moist environments — such as shower floors, locker rooms, and public swimming areas. So it is always safer not to walk barefoot in such places.

H-Warts Formula is a natural and gentle treatment for all types of warts.

The agent needs to have a point of entry into the skin

• Cracks in dry skin,
• Cuts or scrapes or,
• Wet, softened, fragile skin, particularly from prolonged water exposure

When there is such direct contact with the agent through a point of entry, plantar warts can result, and this strain of agent differs from other warts by growing inwards.

• There is thickening and damage to your skin, followed by the appearance of plantar warts.
• Fortunately, these warts are benign growths that form round areas of rough skin with a dry crusty surface and tiny black dots deep inside, but as they grow, they can become very painful as pressure is applied. Some people believe these small black dots are “roots” or “seeds,” but this is a myth as they are just dried-up capillary blood vessels.
• It does not take long for a plantar wart to become flattened and painful from the pressure of walking—like walking on a small stone.

How do I know if I have a planters wart on my foot?

Several characteristics can help you identify a plantar wart. These include:

• A small, fleshy growth on the sole of the foot
• A stiff, thickened area on the skin
• A rough, grainy texture on the surface of the growth
• Black dots, which are actually small, clotted blood vessels
• Pain or tenderness when walking or applying pressure to the growth

If you think you may have a plantar wart, it is best to see a doctor for a proper diagnosis. The doctor will be able to determine if you have a plantar wart based on its appearance and location, as well as examine the growth and possibly perform a biopsy. This is important because plantar warts can be confused with other foot conditions, such as calluses. A proper diagnosis will ensure you receive the appropriate treatment.

Testing for plantar wart

A doctor will typically perform a physical examination of the growth to test for a plantar wart. This involves looking at the appearance and location of the growth, as well as examining its texture and other characteristics, such as black dots or pain. The doctor may press on the growth to check for tenderness or discomfort. The doctor may perform a biopsy, where a small sample of the growth is removed and examined under a microscope. This can help confirm the diagnosis and rule out other conditions with similar symptoms.

Self diagnosis to know if you have a plantar wart

If you are unsure whether you have a plantar wart (as they can sometimes be confused with a callus), squeeze the lesion between your fingers as if pinching. If this action is painful, you can be 100% certain that you have a plantar wart to treat.

How to treat plantar warts

• Although cryotherapy (where a freezing agent such as liquid nitrogen is used) is a helpful tool for treating most warts, it is not recommended for plantar warts because, with cryotherapy, a blister forms, which would be very painful to walk on afterward. 

• Use an over-the-counter salicylic acid solution is available at the pharmacy in liquid, gel, pad, or ointment form. Be sure to follow package directions because over-application of these products can burn the skin. Periodically sand and re-treat the wart. It can take several months to get rid of a large one using these treatments. Warts can spread, so monitor your feet closely and treat warts when they are small. Soak the affected area in warm water for five minutes before applying the salicylic acid. This will enhance the effects of the medication. 

• A commercial preparation containing about 17% salicylic acid and 17% lactic acid in a fast-drying solution can be applied daily after showering. The preparation is allowed to dry, and the wart is covered with waterproof tape, which is removed after the next shower or bath. 

• Duct tape is another treatment approach where any color of duct tape is applied to the wart, which is covered 24 hours a day, six out of seven days a week, for six weeks.

• You can visit your doctor for the plantar wart to be cut out.

• A plantar warts natural home remedy such as H-Warts Formula is available online to treat your plantar warts safely and successfully at home. The surface of the plantar wart is treated, and the root structure is eliminated, so there is no regrowth, burning, pain, or scarring, making it an ideal natural and non-invasive treatment. 

For extra comfort

Although they are considered noncancerous growths, in rare instances, if left for years and years, plantar warts could become serious complications. While applying a plantar warts treatment, you might like to use a special pad or doughnut-shaped piece of moleskin around the wart, available from a drugstore, to relieve any pressure and pain from the wart. This is particularly useful for children who still want to run around, play sports, and live their everyday life despite the plantar wart under their feet.

How to get rid of warts on feet

For many reasons, carrying out that plantar warts treatment is best as quickly as possible. All-natural treatment alternative like H-Warts Formula is perfect for plantar warts and is natural and gentle on the skin.

 Sources

Landis MN, et al. Recalcitrant plantar warts treated with recombinant quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2012;67:e73.

Habif TP. Plantar warts. In: Clinical Dermatology: A Color Guide to Diagnosis and Therapy. 6th ed. Edinburgh, U.K.; New York, N.Y.: Elsevier; 2016. https://www.clinicalkey.com. -(Accessed March 2, 2017).

Kwok CS, et al. Topical treatments for cutaneous warts. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD001781.pub3/abstract.-(Accessed March 2, 2017).

Warts. American Academy of Dermatology. http://www.aad.org/dermatology-a-to-z/diseases-and-treatments/u---w/warts. Accessed March 2, 2017.