Hot Water Treatment for Plantar Warts

You're experiencing pain in your heel, feel the bottom of your foot and notice a growth. Your doctor tells you the growth is a plantar wart. Plantar warts are non-cancerous, normally found on the sole, ball and heel of the foot and are easily spread to other areas of the foot. Plantar warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), a virus that causes skin cells to grow quickly. You can relieve some of the pain associated with your plantar wart(s) with a hot water soak.

Hot Water & Vitamin A

• Soaking your plantar wart-infected feet in hot water daily will remove the wart in about nine months. You don't need a special foot tub, but one can be used. Just fill your bath tub or a foot tub with hot water (the hottest temperature you can stand) and soak the foot with the wart for an hour and a half each day. If both of your feet have plantar warts, soak both of them at the same time. As the hot water cools, let out some of the water and add more hot water.

  Once you have soaked your feet for an hour and a half, dry your feet with a clean, dry towel. Then break open a vitamin A capsule and rub the vitamin on to your plantar wart(s). Vitamin A capsules are easily found at pharmacies, drug stores and health food stores.

Foot Care

• Before putting on your shoes, sprinkle some foot powder on your feet and in between your toes to help absorb any sweat. Try to keep your feet dry to prevent future plantar wart infections. Do not walk barefoot in public areas and change your socks frequently if your feet perspire a lot, or you are playing sports.

Cautions

• If you have diabetes or another medical condition where you don't feel sensations in your feet, consult with your doctor before soaking your feet in hot water.

  Do not scratch or try to pull off the plantar wart. If the plantar wart grows in size or becomes extremely painful, see your doctor about having the growth surgically removed.