By: Dr. Belinda M. Dotter
Plantar
warts are noncancerous skin growths on the soles of your feet caused by the
human papillomavirus (HPV), which enters your body through tiny cuts, breaks or
other vulnerable sites on the skin of your feet. Plantar warts often develop beneath pressure
points in your feet, such as the heels or balls of your feet. This pressure
also may cause a plantar wart to grow inward beneath a hard, thick layer of
skin (callus). Most plantar warts aren't
a serious health concern and may not require treatment. However, plantar warts
can be bothersome or painful so it's important to contact your Dayton/Springfield, Ohio Podiatrist at
Community Foot Specialist so we can get you back on your feet. Call today for an appointment 937-426-9500
Signs and
symptoms of plantar warts include:
- Small,
fleshy, grainy lesions, or growths, on the soles of your feet
- Hard,
thickened skin (callus) over a well-defined "spot" on the skin,
where a wart has grown inwards
- Black
pinpoints, which are commonly called "wart seeds" but are
actually small, clotted blood vessels
- Lesions
that interrupt the normal lines and ridges in the skin of your feet
- Pain
or tenderness when walking or standing
Plantar warts
are caused by an infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) in the outer
layer of skin on the sole of your feet.
There are more
than 100 types of HPV, but only a few types are known to cause warts on your
feet. Other types of HPV are more likely to cause warts on other areas of your
skin or on mucous membranes.
Transmission of
the virus
Each person's immune system responds differently to HPV, so not everyone who
comes in contact with the virus develops warts. Even people in the same family
react to the virus differently.
The HPV strains
that cause plantar warts aren't highly contagious. Therefore, it isn't easily
transmitted by direct contact from one person to another. However, the virus
does thrive in warm, moist environments — such as shower floors, locker rooms
and public swimming areas. Consequently, you may contract the virus by walking barefoot
around pools or gyms.
The virus also
needs to have a point of entry into the skin:
- Cracks
in dry skin
- Cuts
or scrapes
- Wet,
softened, fragile skin from prolonged water exposure (macerated skin)
Multiple
warts
If the virus spreads from the original site of infection, multiple warts may
appear. These may include:
- Several individual warts at
different sites on the foot
- "Kissing warts," a pair
of warts that appear where two parts of the foot touch, such as a point of
contact between two toes or between a toe and the ball of foot
- Mosaics, clusters of warts that
essentially form a large, single lesion
Treatment
options include the following:
- Freezing (cryotherapy). Application
of liquid nitrogen with a spray canister or cotton-tipped applicator to
freeze and destroy your wart. The chemical causes a blister to form around
your wart, and the dead tissue sloughs off within a week or so. The
application itself can be painful, and cryotherapy can result in painful
or tender blisters that resolve on their own.
- Cantharidin. Application
of cantharidin — a substance extracted from the blister beetle — on your
plantar warts. Typically, the extract is paired with salicylic acid,
applied to the plantar wart and covered with a bandage. The initial
application is painless, but the subsequent blister that forms may be
painful. The dead part of the wart is clipped off in about a week.
- Immunotherapy. This
therapy attempts to harness your body's immune system to remove
tough-to-treat warts. This can be accomplished in a couple of ways.
Injection on your warts with interferon, a medication that boosts your
immune system's instinct to reject warts. Or injection of your warts with
a foreign substance (antigen) that stimulates your immune system. Often,
mumps antigens are used, because many people are immunized against mumps.
As a result, the antigen sets off an immune reaction that may fight off
warts. Interferon treatment may result in flu-like symptoms for a few
hours after treatment. Both treatments may cause pain.
- Imiquimod (Aldara). This
prescription cream applied directly to a wart is an immunotherapy
medication that encourages your body to release immune system proteins
(cytokines) to attack HPV. This treatment can result in severe
inflammation near the site and damage to the tissues beyond the wart. If
this occurs, the treatment is dropped. The drug may also result in
flu-like symptoms that may lessen with a lower dosage.
- Minor surgery. This
involves cutting away the wart or destroying the wart by using an electric
needle in a process called electrodesiccation and curettage. Anesthesizing
your skin before this procedure is required. This treatment is avoided if
possible with plantar warts because of the risk of scarring.
- Laser treatment. A
type of laser treatment called pulse dye laser treatment burns closed
(cauterizes) tiny blood vessels. The infected tissue eventually dies, and
the wart falls off. This treatment can cause pain and scarring.
To
reduce your risk of plantar warts:
- Avoid direct contact with warts. This
includes your own warts.
- Keep your feet clean and dry. Change
your shoes and socks daily.
- Don't go barefoot in public areas. Wear
sandals or flip-flops in public pools and locker rooms.
- Don't pick at warts. Picking
may spread the virus.
- Don't use the same file, pumice
stone or nail clipper on your warts as you use on your healthy
skin and nails.
- Wash your hands carefully after
touching your warts.
If you or you know someone who may be experiencing any of these painful plantar wart symptoms, call your local Springfield/Dayton, Ohio Podiatrist at Community Foot Specialist so we can find the best treatment option for you. Call and schedule your appointment today with any of our 6 conveniently located Greater Dayton offices. 937-426-9500
