The human papillomavirus causes a wart, which is asoft tissue disorder. Plantar warts can develop when this virus attacks your body via cracks or small incisions mostly on the bottom of your foot. These microscopic growths normally appear on your heels and other weight-bearing portions of your feet and grow inward, usually beneath a thick skin layer called a callous.
Usually, plantar warts may not be a cause for your concern, and quite sometimes they may get resolved on their own after some time. However, a few situations where you may have to visit a podiatrist Irvine.
Do you remember, when it was last that you closely looked at your own feet? Chances are it must be a long ago. It will be very easy to forget how your feet may look after many years of stuffing your feet in shoes. Therefore, suddenly when you finally notice that you have developed warts, then it can always be quite disconcerting.
What are these plantar warts?
Plantar warts are often confused with certain corns and calluses, whichare dead skin layers that form on your feet to protect them from irritation. Plantar warts, are caused by viruses and have a rough texture with a very well-defined boundary.
They normally form on your foot soles, but they can also show on the top of your feet as elevated pimples with a meaty appearance. Warts on your foot soles are normally flat because they are pushed to grow inward.
A few other common indications of such plantar warts are as follows:
- Gray/brownish appearance
- Black and tiny pinpoints are seen in the center
- Pain or tenderness while bearing weight
- A callous seen over the distinct “spot”
Also, you may notice that even your warts may fuse together and end up creating clusters, which are called mosaic warts. It isvital to note thatas these warts will generally be caused by a certain virus, hence they can be contagious and may spread from one person to other.
Why should you see a doctor?
1. Foot warts may hang around for a long time
Most of you must be thinking that plantar wart seems not so complicated issue, hence why waste time and money by visiting any Irvine podiatrist?
No doubt, your foot warts may often go away automatically based on the HPV strain responsible for the wart, however, usually, most over-the-counter medicines may use a one-size-fits-all approach, and henceyou may not be able to achieve a cure rate of 100 percent.
Coming in to see any podiatrist will help speed up the process and help you to get rid of your unsightly and also embarrassing foot wart. These plantar warts are treated in a variety of ways directly in the clinic, making you comfortable.
2. Plantar warts can often change the way how you walk
These plantar warts are quite painful and if you do not treat them through any professional Orange County podiatrist then you are likely to live with your pain and discomfort while you walk.
Generally, such foot warts will be found on your foot sole and hence you will be forced to walk a little differently than normal. Besides that, you may also not remain as active or do exercises because of your pain and discomfort.
3. Foot warts can also spread
One more reason to get it treated by a professional is that over time this can also spread if you simply depend upon your home treatment which may further aggravate your pain.
Identifying plantar warts
Often you may confuse these plantar warts and think that they are corns and calluses. You need to know that corns and calluses generally develop whenever your feet accumulate dead skin layers to protect them from irritation.
Plantar warts are different and usually, they are due to certain viruses. Typically, plantar warts may develop on the top of your toes or feet and have got a fleshy appearance. Also, your warts if developed beneath your feet, they will be hard and flat and they generally grow inward.
When you must see a podiatrist
Often your plantar warts may vanish by themselves, but that may take several months and sometimes even years too. As they are because of a certain virus and hence likely to spread further and may spread from one person to other too.
You must see a doctor when:
- Warts start bleeding or change their appearance
- Persistent, recurring, and multiple warts
- Diabetes, poor sensitivity, ornerve damage in your feet
- If you have a weakened immune system
Treating foot warts
A podiatrist will offer you several treatment options.
- Salicylic acid dissolves the layers of the wart
- Cryotherapy freezes the wart and causes it to break off
- Micro excision, in which he slices the wart from your foot while being careful not to injure the surrounding skin.
It is preferable to avoid warts in the very first place rather than having to deal with them later. The Doctor may also propose custom orthotics, in addition, to constantly wearing certain foot protection in wet locations. These shoe inserts will offer to cushion your foot’s weight-bearing areas, so you don’t have to change your posture or gait.