All About Plantar Warts-From Experts at Podo Care Foot & Ankle!

What is a Plantar Wart?

Plantar wart is a viral infection within the skin of the foot caused by HPV.  They present in a form of rough bumps or callus on the bottom of your foot.  Many different strains of HPV are present, but only certain strains cause warts on the feet.  They are not harmful and not cancerous.

Since it is a virus, it can spread from direct contact with HPV through skin to skin contact or sharing objects such as shoes, socks and towels.  Sometimes, the wart can grow into clusters, called mosaic warts.  

Anyone can get plantar warts.  However, you may be more likely to get them if you are 

• a child or a teenager
• immunocompromised or have an autoimmune disease
• 65 years or older

Treatment Options?

There are many ways to treat plantar warts.  However, there is no easy and fast way to treat them and may take a few weeks to months as the virus lies deep within the skin.  Unfortunately, unlike other viruses that our bodies can recognize and fight, the HPV plantar wart virus safeguards itself inside the skin so the body is unable to detect it.  That makes the treatment difficult.

We treat plantar warts via acid and it does require a few treatments.  If the wart is more stubborn, anesthetizing and excising it out is also a possibility.  One should be careful of prolonged use of over the counter (OTC) medications, especially in infants and diabetics, as it can cause skin irritation, pain and infection.

Tips to prevent Warts:

• Keep feet clean and dry
• Avoid walking barefoot especially in public places like gym, pools and even hotel rooms
• Don't touch warts on other people
• Pay attention to your feet and do not ignore growths and changes in your feet.

Please feel free to contact us here at Podo Care Foot & Ankle in Ashburn, VA, for any questions about Plantar Warts, or you can make an appointment with Dr Dureja.