Warts

Warts are typically small, but they can make walking or exercising painful, depending on their location. At Podo Care Foot & Ankle in Ashburn, Virginia, board-certified podiatrist and foot and ankle surgeon Anchal Dureja, DPM, offers several types of minimally invasive treatment for warts. After an exam and review of your symptoms, she can make personalized care recommendations. Call the office today to request a wart consultation, or make your appointment online.

What are warts?

A wart is a hard, skin-colored growth that can form on the bottom of your feet. Anyone can develop warts on the feet, also known as plantar warts, but they’re most common in children and teens because their immune systems are still developing.

Warts develop when the human papillomavirus (HPV) enters your body through cuts or other small breaks in your skin. Though painful and annoying, warts are easy to treat.

What are the symptoms of warts?

Symptoms of warts include:

• Rough or thickened skin at the bottom of your foot
• A hard bump with a black spot in the middle
• White or skin-colored lesions on the heels or balls of your feet
• Pain when standing or walking

If you experience any of these issues, contact Podo Care Foot & Ankle. That’s particularly true if you have diabetes or another condition affecting your foot circulation. Warts may increase your risk of more serious problems, including infection, so getting checked out is important.

How are warts diagnosed?

Your Podo Care Foot & Ankle provider reviews your medical records, asks about your symptoms, and examines the bottom of your feet.

They gently press on the growths to see if they’re sensitive to touch and collect a small skin sample for biopsy testing. A biopsy confirms if it’s viral and helps your provider determine the best treatment type.

How are warts treated?

Podo Care Foot & Ankle offers several types of wart treatment, including:

Salicylic acid

Salicylic acid is a topical medication for small warts that you apply to your skin several times a day for 12 weeks. The acid causes your skin to die and peel away, removing the wart one layer at a time.

Cryotherapy

You might be a candidate for cryotherapy if you have large or recurring warts. 

During cryotherapy, your podiatrist uses liquid nitrogen to freeze a wart. Freezing the wart causes the virus to die. In the days and weeks after treatment, your skin changes color and peels away, taking the wart with it.

Can warts be prevented?

You can reduce your risk of warts by practicing good foot hygiene. Podo Care Foot & Ankle recommends all children and adults under 26 get an HPV vaccine. You should also inspect your feet daily, avoid walking barefoot in public areas and wear clean socks.

Call Podo Care Foot & Ankle today to learn more about treatment for warts, or book your appointment online.