Since the formation is located on the foot, this can lead to painful sensations and damage to the wart itself. For these reasons, the spine needs to be treated, although there is a small chance that the plantar warts will disappear on their own without serious treatment.
Unfortunately, it is still not easy to get rid of a wart, so it is recommended to visit a dermatologist to reduce the risk of infecting other people, as well as to shorten the treatment time of the disease. The use of exclusive folk remedies and independent efforts to get rid of the tumor are undesirable. The plantar wart has a deep root, which is almost impossible to remove on its own, so relapses occur. Folk remedies often severely damage the surrounding tissue, which can lead to an increase in the area of the lesion and unpleasant consequences in the form of burns and scars.
Symptoms
If you suspect the appearance of a neoplasm, not only should you know what a plantar wart looks like in the picture, but also remember that the disease has characteristic symptoms:
- palpable itching at the site of formation;
- the size of the warts is from a few millimeters to 2 centimeters;
- unlike corn, a wart is painful;
- bleeding when injured;
- pain while walking.
If you find yourself with similar symptoms, see your doctor immediately. It is easier to prevent a disease than to deal with the consequences.
Causes of plantar warts
A plantar wart occurs when the foot is affected by the human papilloma virus (HPV). The main route of transmission is contact, infection occurs through shared facilities or directly from person to person. The favorable environment is warm and humid, so it is important to take precautions when visiting the spa, pool, sauna and gym.
Weakened immunity can also serve as a cause of occurrence, as in a normal state the human papilloma virus does not give visible manifestations.
This type of wart can also occur with microtrauma of the epidermis, dry skin, when wearing tight uncomfortable shoes, hyperhidrosis. Also, the causes of warts on the feet can be diseases that lead to deformity of the feet - arthritis of the joints, osteoarthritis, flat feet, as well as diseases that lead to violations of the integrity of the skin of the foot: diabetes mellitus, varicose veins. It should be remembered that frequent stress can indirectly affect the occurrence of this disease.
HPV can be acquired accidentally during normal walking barefoot on an infected area; the virus can live up to several months without an immediate carrier. After entering the body, it may not appear for days or even weeks, so it is not always possible to know the exact time of infection.
Diagnosing
To determine how to treat plantar warts, a dermatologist does a number of studies:
- general inspection;
- dermatoscopes;
- PCR diagnostics;
- histological examination.
How to cure plantar warts
When a foot wart appears, the question arises as to how to treat this neoplasm. When the growths are uncomfortable and spread quickly, the best solution is to visit a dermatologist as soon as possible, he will choose the most suitable treatment option. There are several ways to solve this problem.
The most radical of them is operative: the wart and its roots are surgically removed. This method is no longer effective, as the roots of the neoplasm are located in the deep layers of the skin. In some cases, it is not possible to remove them completely.
Wart removal can be performed using laser and electrocautery as well as using cryotherapy.
In addition to removal in medical institutions, plantar warts can be removed by less radical methods, such as oils, solutions, special plasters, as well as folk remedies. These remedies for removing foot warts have a number of advantages and disadvantages, the main of which is the long treatment time.
Removal of plantar warts
One of the most common ways to remove plantar warts is to remove them in specialized hospitals. The dermatologist at the meeting should tell you in detail how to get rid of plantar warts and, based on the results of the examination, choose the most appropriate method. Despite the fact that thorns are difficult to cure, there is no specific tool for their removal; all methods that are suitable in treating other types of warts are used. Plantar warts can be treated on an outpatient basis, but your doctor may prescribe remedies to help remove the growths at home.
Surgical removal of warts
Surgery is used along with other treatments to remove warts. The wart is removed with a special scalpel under local anesthesia. After this procedure, if the plantar fasciitis was significant, sutures are placed under the skin, which are removed within one to two weeks. The wound site is treated with a disinfectant solution and an aseptic dressing is placed. There is usually a small scar at the site of removal.
The difficulty of this method is that during the operation the doctor has to remove all the roots, otherwise the plantar warts will reappear. Therefore, this method is used today only if all other methods of treatment prove ineffective.
Liquid nitrogen removal
Liquid nitrogen removal means exposing the neoplasm to extremely low temperatures; this is the most common modern and fastest way to treat a toe wart.
The method is based on freezing the tissues of the formation itself. In fact, within the wart cells, under the influence of an extremely low temperature of -196 degrees Celsius, cracks occur, leading to the death of the warts.
Cryodestruction is performed manually or with equipment. If the wart is large or the procedure is performed on a child, then it becomes necessary to use local anesthesia, usually novocaine.
The time of direct exposure to liquid nitrogen is up to 30 seconds. After the first moxibustion, the physician should pause to evaluate the effectiveness of the effect and the need for repeated moxibustion.
After freezing, a blister with a colorless or reddish liquid forms at the site of the wart, which indicates the onset of the inflammatory process. This is a normal reaction to the moxibustion procedure.
Cryodestruction is considered painless, but when treating plantar warts, it must be repeated several times to achieve the final effect. Once the wart falls off, no marks remain.
The advantages of liquid nitrogen removal are:
- freezing precludes further spread of the disease to the nearest skin;
- lack of special training;
- short duration of the procedure;
- the risks of the appearance of marks or signs are minimal.
The disadvantages of cryodestruction of plantar warts are:
- the need for a repetitive course with a large wound area or due to the size of the wart;
- human factor - the professionalism of the doctor who performs this procedure is a guarantee of success. The physician must accurately assess the time and degree of nitrogen exposure to the tissues, otherwise a burn may form;
- the discomfort caused by a swollen bladder and the need to treat it are also considered disadvantages of the method.
Overall, the reviews for treating plantar warts with the liquid nitrogen moxibustion method are positive, as this is the simplest, most effective and affordable way.
Laser removal
Laser removal is considered to be one of the most effective and safest techniques. After laser treatment, the wart ceases to be infectious. The procedure itself is painless; a special nozzle is placed on the laser, which cools the site of exposure. Furthermore, one or more pain relieving injections are given before surgery. The patient usually feels a slight tingling sensation during the procedure. After removal of the neoplasm, no trace remains, as the laser directly burns the diseased tissue. The laser method allows maximum control of the exposure depth, which is individual in each case. Therefore, even with deep tissue lesions, it is possible to completely remove the roots, which means that sparse growth of the lesion can be prevented.
The operation is performed under sterile conditions, there is no direct contact with the skin or wart, and the duration of the operation is only a few minutes. The positive results of laser-assisted foot wax removal also make this method more attractive.
The main disadvantage of laser foot removal with laser is the high cost, which usually includes doctor consultation, anesthesia and surgery itself. In addition, after removal, the wound heals for a long time and requires hygiene.
Treatment of plantar warts
Before treating a plantar wart, you should make sure that the diagnosis is correct and then proceed directly with the procedures. In addition to surgery, your doctor may prescribe immunotherapy and topical medications.
The need for immunotherapy, as a rule, is justified, as the disease is caused by a virus, which, when the body weakens, is actively developing. Local immunotherapeutic agents directly direct the virus in two ways. In the first case, the drug stimulates the immune system, and in the second, an antigen is injected into the body of the wart, which also activates the immune system, so that the wart disappears faster.
Treating a toe wart requires quite a long time, it is important to remember to strengthen the immune system and observe hygiene. If you do not apply removal and treatment, then the wart can disappear on its own for more than a year, while a person is the source of infection for everyone around. You should carefully consider this unpleasant disease and be sure to consult a dermatologist, who will definitely show you how and how to treat a plantar wart.
The treatment of a plantar wart depends directly on the observance of all standards of hygiene and doctor's prescriptions, the daily treatment of education is a guarantee of successful recovery.
Home treatment
Any new formation in the skin can not be ignored, as cancer tension is rising worldwide. Do not ignore the appointment with a specialist, he can prescribe a treatment for a plantar wart at home. In this case, special solutions, oils and a plaster for warts are usually prescribed.
Ointments are one of the mildest methods of treatment; they act on the wart itself, as a result of which it gradually fades and disappears. The following types of oils are used in treatment:
- antiviral ointment;
- acid-based oil;
- various herbal ointments.
Most often, salicylic oils and oxolinic oils are prescribed. Each type of oil is instilled into the wart several times a day according to the instructions. When treating a foot wart, it should be evaporated in warm water beforehand before applying the medicine. It is advisable to apply any ointment overnight so that you do not have to break the formation and wash off the oil.
To get rid of plantar warts at home, you can use a patch of salicylic acid. This product has a low cost and proven effectiveness. Plaster is sold in pharmacies without a prescription, the principle of its use is very simple - a wart is glued to a piece of plaster, and an ordinary medical plaster is fixed on top. You need to change the patch at regular intervals. It may take about two weeks to remove a small wart, but you can not leave the wart for a long time without a patch. As the treatment progresses, the wart area shrinks, after 12 hours it is covered with a crust, which then disappears. After a successful cure, a small pink stain remains on the skin, which should disappear completely over time.
Care should be taken when applying the patch - when applying, you should avoid healthy areas of the skin, otherwise severe irritation may occur. There are contraindications to using this method for wart removal, so the doctor should make the decision to assign the piece.
Another way to treat plantar warts at home is hyperthermia. Feet affected by warts are submerged in the hottest water possible. Such procedures are repeated several times. In some cases, hyperthermia shows a positive effect. The mechanism of the procedure is based on the stimulation of small blood vessels in the legs and the activation of local immunity.
At home, low-temperature treatment, similar to removing warts with liquid nitrogen, can be used. To do this, you can use special pens or sprays for the applicator. As with cryodestruction, several applications may be required.
Treatment with folk remedies
Despite the fact that modern medicines are much more effective and with their help the process of removing plantar warts is faster, the effectiveness of treatment with folk remedies can not be denied. Traditional medicine has accumulated extensive experience in fighting warts, and some methods remain effective.
- Celandine juice is one of the most popular ways to remove thorns. You can use the juice of a fresh plant or buy a collection of celandine at the pharmacy, which contains, in addition to celandine juice, other plant extracts. The fluid is applied once or twice a day to the affected area.
- Acetic acid, along with various additional agents, is also used to remove warts. In addition to acid, onions and flour are used. You can drip the acid yourself directly on the affected area, but this method is quite dangerous due to the high risk of severe burns.
- Apple cider vinegar: a swab dipped in the solution (it is important not to use undiluted vinegar) is applied to the affected area of skin, the skin area is pre-treated with an abrasive nail file.
- Garlic is another popular remedy for treating warts. The formation should be rubbed with raw garlic until it completely disappears, but this method can be used no more than three weeks.
- Banana peel is applied internally to the affected area of skin, it is believed that it can remove the wart.
In order to determine the location of the wound and not touch the adjacent tissue, you can use a piece of adhesive plaster. A hole the size of a neoplasm is made in it, and healthy adjacent skin remains intact. This avoids burns and other damage.
Plantar warts in a child
With age, a person develops immunity to HPV, so children and young people are more susceptible to this infection. Most often, the disease affects children over the age of five. A doctor will help you recognize a toe wart in a child, as in some cases it may resemble an old callus.
Although plantar warts in a child go away on their own, you should not ignore their treatment, it is also worth remembering the possibility of infecting the whole family and the people around them. A plantar wart in a child almost always causes severe painful discomfort when walking, therefore, requires prompt treatment and a visit to a doctor. Our service contains proven pediatric dermatologists and reviews about them, according to which you can choose a good specialist for your child.
Because children are sensitive to pain, it is difficult to find therapy. To get started, you need to use different oils - they are affordable, easy to use and effective. Folk remedies are also widely used, the safety of which is beyond doubt.
Effective methods for removing plantar warts in children are liquid nitrogen and laser removal. Removing warts using these methods is one of the most radical methods. They are directed when solutions and oils do not have the desired effect.
After healing, it is important to remember about preventing plantar warts in children. This is strengthening the immune system, careful hygiene and wearing the right comfortable shoes. It should be remembered that the risk of infection is particularly high in public places and by another person, so you should make sure that the child does not walk in someone else’s shoes or barefoot. Any item that has come into direct contact with the formation should be thoroughly washed at a high temperature. All of these actions will help prevent the development of the virus in the future.
The danger
If the procedure for removing plantar warts is not performed in time, it can lead to serious consequences, such as:
- the appearance of warts on other areas of the skin;
- skin cancer.
Doctors strongly advise not to self-medicate - cutting, piercing or cauterizing the warts will worsen the situation and lead to the formation of new warts.
Risk group
The risk group is:
- people with hormonal disorders in the body;
- Infected with HIV.
Prophylaxis
For the prevention of plantar warts, patients are advised to:
- strengthen immunity;
- eat more foods rich in vitamins;
- proper foot skin care;
- do not wear tight shoes, shoes made of synthetic materials;
- in public places (locker rooms, showers) do not walk barefoot.