Plantar Warts - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Definition:-

Plantar warts are the warts caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV). Plantar warts are benign growths that occur on the sole, heel, or ball of the foot.Small lesions are typically "cauliflower-esque" in appearance. Though "plantar wart" refers specifically to HPV infection on the sole of the foot, infection by the virus is possible anywhere on the body and common especially on the palm of the hand. Pressure from standing and walking often causes them to grow into deep layers of the skin.

Human papilloma virus generally enters the body through tiny cuts and breaks in your skin and causes the disease. A plantar wart may or may not be painful. It an be spread in communal showers, around swimming pools, sharing shoes, etc. Most plantar warts aren't a serious health concern, but they may be bothersome.

Symptoms:-

The possible symptoms of plantar warts are as:-

• Small, fleshy, grainy bumps that interrupt the normal lines and ridges in the skin of your feet.
• Flat or raised skin lesion or lump.
• Bumps are painful to pressure.
• Pantar warts usually are rough and spongy.
• Hard, flat growths with a rough surface and well-defined boundaries.
• The portion of the wart under the skin is at least twice as big as the part you can see.
• Abnormally dark or light skin surrounding the lesion.
• There may be rough growths around or under fingernails or toenails.

Causes:-

The main causes of plantar warts are as:-

• Warts are caused by direct contact with the human papillomavirus (HPV). Some types of HPV tend to cause warts on your hands, fingers or near your fingernails.
• HPV can enter the skin through cuts or scratches on the plantar area of the foot.
• By sharing towels, razors, or other personal items it can spread to others.
• Some people are more prone to warts than others.
• Picking or scratching the wart may cause the virus to spread.
• The virus that causes plantar warts isn't highly contagious.

Treatment:-

The main effective treatments for plantar warts are as:-

• Self-treatment for plantar warts using an over-the-counter preparation is not recommended.
• Laser treatments (e.g., CO2 laser cautery) can be used to treat plantar warts.
• Duct tape occlusion therapy.
• Salicylic acid :applied manually.
• Cryotherapy involves freezing warts with a very cold solution, that destroys the virus.
• Watchful waiting : recognizing that the problem may self-resolve.

Some of the precautions that should be taken care are:

• Keep feet clean and dry.
• Change shoes and socks daily.
• Avoid direct contact with warts on other persons or on other parts of the body.
• Do not ignore growths on, or changes in, your skin.
• Avoid walking barefoot whenever possible.
• Visit a podiatrist as part of your annual health checkup.