About Plantar Warts

Plantar warts are benign lesions that form on the bottom of the feet. They can be difficult to treat as they can reappear without warning at any time. Plantar warts serve as painful reminders that all humans should take very good care of their feet.

The Facts

• Plantar warts are tiny round warts that appear on the soles of human feet. They can form as single warts or they can quickly spread and form large clusters. Plantar warts are caused by the Human Papilloma virus or HPV. Plantar warts can be painful and they also can be unsightly to look at. Plantar warts need to be treated immediately to prevent the spread of the warts in the surrounding tissue and areas of skin. Temporary treatment options vary, but the plantar warts can either be removed or the pain can be alleviated with time and proper medical care.

Risk Factors

• Plantar warts are spread through small cuts or openings in the skin and can be contracted by another infected human by direct contact. Some of the ways someone can contract plantar warts are through contact with the virus by infected shoes, showers, swimming pools or other surfaces where someone may walk barefoot.

Time Frame

• Plantar warts do not always show up right away, they can take many weeks or even months before a single wart itself begins to appear. A person may become exposed to the virus but not see a wart appear on their foot until several or even months weeks later, so it is difficult to pinpoint where one contracted the disease. The warts tend to last anywhere from three months to two years, but some can last a lifetime if they are left untreated. Many times warts will appear and then disappear in a few weeks only to reappear years later. Once a person becomes infected with the HPV plantar wart virus, he remains a carrier for the rest of his life, and even when the virus is not active, he can transmit the virus to others.

Identification

• Plantar warts start off as small, clear, hard bumps under the skin of the bottom of the foot. They often feel very painful to the touch. After two weeks of the first appearance of the bump, they raise to the surface and turn into what appears to be a hard callus or thick layer of round skin. They have small black specks in the middle which are actually blood vessels. Plantar warts tend to be small in size, about the size of pencil eraser .

Misconceptions

• There are several misconceptions about plantar warts. The HPV that causes the warts on the foot is not the exact same as the one that causes genital warts; that form of HPV is a different strain of the virus. Although plantar warts can spread to the hands and other body parts it is rare and is not common. Some believe that duct tape and apple cider vinegar work to cure plantar warts and this hasn't been verified as a proven remedy. Some believe plantar warts pose a serious health risk when in fact they do nothing more than cause pain and discomfort on the bottom of one's foot. Plantar warts have not been linked to causing any other serious illness except stress from the unsightliness and insecurity of having the warts.

Evolution

• There is no cure for the HPV virus that causes plantar warts, the warts can be temporarily but effectively treated. One way is with over the counter medications such as salicylic acid. The acid should be applied three times a day for up to three weeks or until the wart is gone. For more serious cases, cryosurgery or burning off the wart with nitrogen can resolve the current plantar wart issue. Another means of treatment would with general surgery to remove the wart and the area underneath so it can no longer spread. Most surgery will leave scarring, so extreme considerations should be taken before using this method of treatment. One should always consult one's physician and seek medical advice when it comes to effectively treating their plantar warts.