Plantar Warts

What are plantar warts?

Plantar warts are hard, skin-colored bumps that form on the weight-bearing areas of your feet. Plantar warts are caused by a virus. The virus enters your body through cuts in the skin and multiplies. As it spreads, a thick layer of skin develops.

What are the symptoms of plantar warts?

Symptoms of plantar warts include:

• A hard, grainy growth on the bottom of your foot
• Hard, thickened skin
• Pain
• Tenderness
• Difficulty putting weight on the affected foot

Most plantar warts also have a black spot in the middle, called the seed. The seed is a group of blood vessels that supply the wart with nutrients and oxygen.

When should I have my plantar warts treated?

Make an appointment with the team at Advanced Care Foot and Ankle if you have plantar warts and they affect your quality of life. That’s especially true if:

• The lesion is bleeding or painful
• You’ve tried treating the wart, but it recurs
• You have diabetes 
• You have a weakened immune system

After a review of your medical records and a discussion of your symptoms, your provider can make treatment recommendations.

Who is at risk of plantar warts?

Anyone can experience plantar warts, but they’re most common in children and teenagers. You’re also more likely to develop a plantar wart if you walk around barefoot in public facilities, like saunas, locker rooms, or swimming pools. You can significantly lower your risk by wearing sandals or shoes at all times.

How are plantar warts diagnosed?

The team at Advanced Care Foot and Ankle diagnoses plantar warts during an in-office visit.

First, your provider asks about your symptoms and examines your feet. If your provider suspects the lesion is something other than a wart, they might also remove a sample of tissue and send it to a laboratory for analysis. 

After confirming the diagnosis, the team at Advanced Care Foot and Ankle develops a custom treatment plan.

How are plantar warts treated?

The team at Advanced Care Foot and Ankle offers several types of treatment for plantar warts, including:

Prescription peeling medication

If you have a small wart, your provider might prescribe peeling medication like salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is a prescription-strength liquid that causes your skin to die one layer at a time. As your skin dies, it peels away, revealing newer, healthier skin beneath.

Cryotherapy

If you have several plantar warts, and you’ve tried treating them before, the team recommends cryotherapy. Cryotherapy freezes your warts. After treatment, your skin peels away and the wart falls off.

The treatment is comfortable and pain-free, your provider even administers a local anesthetic beforehand.

To receive treatment for plantar warts, make an appointment at Advanced Care Foot and Ankle by calling the nearest office or booking online today.