Since the formation is on the foot, this can lead to painful sensations and injury to the wart itself. For these reasons, the spine must be treated, although there is a small chance that the plantar wart will go away on its own without serious treatment.
Unfortunately, it is still not easy to get rid of a wart, so it is recommended to consult a dermatologist to reduce the risk of infecting other people and to reduce the time of treatment of the disease. The use of exclusively folk remedies and independent attempts 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 injure 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, you should not only know what a plantar wart looks like in the photo, 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 corns, a wart is painful;
- bleeding when damaged;
- pain when walking.
If you find yourself with similar symptoms, see your doctor right away. It is easier to prevent a disease than to deal with its consequences.
Causes of the plantar wart
A plantar wart occurs when the foot is affected by the human papillomavirus (HPV). The main route of transmission is contact, infection occurs through common objects or directly from person to person. The favorable environment is hot and humid, so it is important to take precautions when visiting the bathhouse, swimming pool, sauna and gym.
Weakened immunity can also serve as the cause of the event, since in a normal state the human papillomavirus does not give visible manifestations.
This type of wart can also occur with microtrauma of the epidermis, dry skin, when wearing tight and uncomfortable shoes, hyperhidrosis. Also, the causes of warts on the leg can be diseases that lead to deformation of the feet - arthritis of the joints, arthrosis, flat feet, as well as diseases that lead to a violation of the integrity of the skin of the foot: diabetes mellitus, varicose veins. It should be remembered that frequent stress can indirectly affect the onset of this disease.
HPV can be acquired accidentally during normal barefoot walking on an infected surface; the virus can live for up to several months without an immediate carrier. After entering the body, it may not manifest itself for several days or even weeks, which is why it is not always possible to know the exact time of the infection.
Diagnostics
To determine how to treat plantar warts, a dermatologist performs a number of studies:
- general inspection;
- dermatoscopy;
- PCR diagnostics;
- histological examination.
How to cure plantar warts?
When a plantar wart appears, the question arises of how to cure this neoplasm. When growths are uncomfortable and spread quickly, your best bet is to see a dermatologist as soon as possible, who will select the most appropriate treatment option. There are several ways to solve this problem.
The most radical of these is operative - the wart and its roots are surgically removed. This method is not the most effective, since 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.
Removal of warts can be done using lasers 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 ointments, solutions, special patches and folk remedies. These remedies to remove plantar warts have numerous advantages and disadvantages, the main one being 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 appointment 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 the thorns are difficult to cure, there are no special specific means of removing them, all appropriate methods are used in the treatment of other types of warts. Plantar warts can be treated on an outpatient basis, but your doctor can prescribe remedies to help remove the growths at home.
Surgical removal of warts
Surgery is used alongside other treatments to remove warts. The wart is scraped with a special scalpel under local anesthesia. After this procedure, if the plantar wart was significant, sutures are applied 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 applied. There is usually a small scar at the removal site.
The difficulty of this method is that during the operation the doctor must remove all the roots, otherwise the plantar wart will reappear. Therefore, this method is used today only if all other methods of treatment have proved ineffective.
Removal with liquid nitrogen
Removal with liquid nitrogen involves exposing the tumor to extremely low temperatures; this is the most common modern and fast way to treat a plantar wart.
The method is based on freezing the tissue of the formation itself. Indeed, inside the wart cells, under the influence of an extremely low temperature of -196 degrees Celsius, ruptures occur that lead to the death of the wart.
Cryodestruction is done manually or by hardware. If the wart is large or the procedure is performed on a child, it becomes necessary to use local anesthesia, usually novocaine.
The time of exposure directly 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 to repeat the moxibustion.
After freezing, a bubble 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. After the wart falls off, no scars remain.
The benefits of liquid nitrogen removal are:
- frostbite excludes further spread of the disease to the nearest skin;
- lack of specific training;
- short duration of the procedure;
- the risks of developing scars or scars are minimal.
The disadvantages of cryodestruction of plantar warts are:
- the need for a repeated course with a large area of the lesion 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 doctor must correctly assess the time and degree of exposure to nitrogen on the tissues, otherwise a burn could form;
- The discomfort that a swollen bladder brings and the need to treat it are also considered disadvantages of the method.
In general, reviews about the treatment of plantar warts by the method of moxibustion with liquid nitrogen are positive, as this is the simplest, most effective and economical way.
Laser removal
Laser removal is considered to be one of the safest and most effective techniques. After laser treatment, the wart ceases to be infectious. The procedure itself is painless: a special nozzle is built into the laser, which cools the exposure site. Also, one or more pain relieving injections are given before the operation. The patient usually feels a slight tingling sensation during the procedure. After the removal of the neoplasm, no traces remain, as the laser directly burns the diseased tissue. The laser method allows maximum control of the depth of exposure, which is individual in each case. Therefore, even with deep tissue injuries, it is possible to remove the roots completely, which means that wart regrowth can be prevented.
The operation takes place in sterile conditions, there is no direct contact with the skin or the wart and the duration of the operation is a few minutes. The positive results of laser-assisted plantar wart removal also make this method the most attractive.
The main drawback of laser plantar wart removal is the high cost, which usually includes a doctor's consultation, anesthesia, and the operation itself. In addition, after removal, the wound heals for a long time and requires hygiene.
Plantar wart treatment
Before treating a plantar wart, you need to make sure that the diagnosis is accurate and then proceed directly to the procedures. In addition to surgery, the doctor may prescribe immunotherapy and topical medications.
The need for immunotherapy, as a rule, is justified, since the disease is caused by a virus, which, when the body is weakened, is actively developing. Local immunotherapeutic agents directly target 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 can disappear faster.
Treatment of a plantar wart takes a long time, it is important not to forget to strengthen the immune system and observe hygiene. If removal and treatment is not applied, the wart can go away on its own for more than a year, while a person is a source of infection for everyone around him. You should carefully consider this unpleasant disease and be sure to consult a dermatologist, who will surely tell you how and how to treat a plantar wart.
Treatment of a plantar wart directly depends on compliance with all hygiene standards and doctor's prescriptions, daily education treatment is a guarantee of successful recovery.
Home treatment
Any new formations on the skin cannot be ignored, as cancer tension is growing around the world. Do not ignore the appointment with a specialist, he can prescribe treatment for a plantar wart at home. In this case, special solutions, ointments and a patch 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 dies and disappears. In the treatment, the following types of ointments are used:
- antiviral ointment;
- acid-based ointment;
- various herbal ointments.
Most often, salicylic acid ointments and oxolinic ointment are prescribed. Any type of ointment is dotted on the wart several times a day according to the instructions. When treating a plantar wart, before applying the drug, it must first be steamed in warm water. It is recommended to apply any ointment overnight so that you do not have to step on the formation and wash off the ointment.
To get rid of plantar warts at home, you can use a patch with salicylic acid. This product has a low cost and proven effectiveness. The patch is sold in pharmacies without a prescription, the principle of its use is very simple: a wart is glued with a piece of plaster and on top of an ordinary medical plaster. You need to change the patch at regular intervals. It may take about two weeks to remove a small wart, but you can't leave the wart for long without a patch. As the treatment progresses, the wart area decreases, after 12 hours it becomes covered with a scab, which then disappears. After successful care, a small pink speck remains on the skin, which should completely disappear over time.
Care should be taken when applying the patch: during application, healthy areas of the skin should be avoided, otherwise severe irritation may occur. There are contraindications for the use of this method of removing the wart, so the doctor should make the decision on the appointment of the patch.
Another way to treat plantar warts at home is hyperthermia. Feet affected by warts are immersed in the hottest water possible. These procedures are repeated several times. In some cases, hyperthermia shows a positive effect. The mechanism of the procedure is based on the stimulation of the small blood vessels in the legs and the activation of local immunity.
At home, a low-temperature treatment can be used, similar to wart removal with liquid nitrogen. To do this, you can use special applicator pens or sprays. 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 cannot be denied. Traditional medicine has accumulated extensive experience in combating 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 with celandine at the pharmacy, which contains, in addition to celandine juice, other herbal extracts. The juice 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 itself directly on the affected area, but this method is quite dangerous due to the high risk of severe burns.
- Apple cider vinegar - a tampon soaked in solution (it is important not to use undiluted vinegar) is applied to the affected area of the skin, the skin area is preliminarily treated with an abrasive nail file.
- Garlic is another popular remedy for the treatment of warts. The formation should be rubbed with raw garlic until it completely disappears, but this method can be used for no more than three weeks.
- Banana peel is applied with the inside on the affected area of the skin, it is believed that it can pull out the wart.
To locate the injury site and not touch the adjacent tissue, you can use a piece of adhesive plaster. A hole the size of the neoplasm is drilled and the adjacent healthy skin remains intact. This avoids burns and other injuries.
Plantar wart 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 plantar wart in a child, as it may resemble an old callus in some cases.
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, so it requires prompt treatment and a visit to the doctor. Our service contains proven pediatric dermatologists and reviews about them, according to which you can choose a good specialist for your baby.
Since children are sensitive to pain, it is difficult to find therapy. To begin with, you should use various ointments - they are convenient, easy to use and effective. Folk remedies are also widely used, about the safety of which there is no doubt.
Effective methods of removing plantar warts in children are liquid nitrogen and laser removal. Removing warts using these methods is one of the most radical methods. It is resorted to when solutions and ointments do not have the desired effect.
After healing, it is important not to forget about the prevention of plantar warts in children. It's all about strengthening the immune system, thorough hygiene, and wearing the right comfortable shoes. It should be remembered that the risk of infection is especially high in public places and by another person, so it is necessary to ensure that the child does not walk in someone else's shoes or barefoot. Any object that has come into direct contact with the formation should be washed thoroughly at a high temperature. All of these actions will help prevent the virus from developing in the future.
Danger
If the procedure for removing plantar warts is not done on time, this 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 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;
- HIV infected.
Prophylaxis
For the prevention of plantar warts, patients are advised to:
- strengthen immunity;
- eat more vitamin-rich foods;
- properly care for the skin of the feet;
- do not wear tight shoes, shoes made of synthetic materials;
- in public places (changing rooms, showers) do not walk barefoot.