Because the formation is located on the foot, it can lead to painful sensations and injury to the wart itself. For these reasons, the spine needs to be treated, although there is little 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 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 extremely folk remedies and independent attempts to get rid of the tumor are undesirable. The plantar wart has a deep root that is almost impossible to remove on its own, so recurrences occur. Folk remedies often seriously 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 tumor, you should not only know what a plantar wart looks like in the photo, but also remember that the disease has characteristic symptoms:
- noticeable itching at the site of formation;
- the size of the warts is from a few millimeters to 2 centimeters;
- unlike corn, the wart is painful;
- bleeding on injury;
- pain when walking.
If you experience such symptoms, see your doctor immediately. It is easier to prevent disease than to deal with the consequences.
Causes of plantar wart
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 warm and humid, so it is important to take precautions when visiting the bath, pool, sauna and gym.
Weakened immunity can also serve as a cause, as in normal conditions the human papillomavirus does not show visible manifestations.
This type of warts can also occur with microtrauma of the epidermis, dry skin, wearing tight uncomfortable shoes, hyperhidrosis. Also, the causes of warts on the legs can be diseases that lead to deformity of the legs - arthritis of the joints, osteoarthritis, flat feet, as well as diseases that lead to disruption of the integrity of the skin of the legs: diabetes mellitus, varicose veins. It should be remembered that frequent stress can indirectly affect the onset of this disease.
HPV can occur accidentally during normal walking barefoot on an infected surface; the virus can live for up to several months without an immediate carrier. After entering the body, it may not appear for several days or even weeks, so it is not always possible to know the exact time of infection.
Diagnosis
To determine how to treat plantar warts, a dermatologist does a number of tests:
- general inspection;
- dermatoscopy;
- PCR diagnostics;
- histological examination.
How to cure plantar warts
When a plantar wart appears, the question arises how to cure 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 appropriate treatment option. There are several ways to solve this problem.
The most radical of these is surgery: the wart and its roots are removed surgically. This method is not the most effective because the roots of the tumor 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 with the help of laser and electrocautery, as well as with the help of cryotherapy.
In addition to removal in medical facilities, plantar warts can be removed with less radical methods, such as ointments, solutions, special plasters, and folk remedies. These means of removing plantar 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 during the meeting should tell you in detail how to get rid of plantar warts and based on the results of the study to choose the most appropriate method. Despite the fact that thorns are difficult to cure, there are no special specific means to remove them; all methods suitable for the treatment of other types of warts are used. Plantar warts can be treated on an outpatient basis, but your doctor may prescribe medications to help remove the growths at home.
Surgical removal of warts
Surgery is used in conjunction with other warts 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 and an aseptic dressing is applied. There is usually a small scar at the site of removal.
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 prove ineffective.
Removal with liquid nitrogen
Removal with liquid nitrogen implies exposure of the neoplasm to extremely low temperatures; this is the most common modern and fastest way to treat plantar wart.
The method is based on freezing the tissue of the formation itself. In fact, inside the wart cells, under the influence of an extremely low temperature of -196 degrees Celsius, ruptures occur, leading to the death of the wart.
Cryodestruction is performed manually or by hardware. If the wart is large or the procedure is performed on a child, then it becomes necessary to use a local anesthetic, usually novocaine.
The time for exposure directly to liquid nitrogen is up to 30 seconds. After the first moxibustion, the doctor should pause to assess the effectiveness of the effect and the need for re-moxibustion.
After freezing at the site of the wart, a bubble of colorless or reddish fluid forms, which indicates the beginning 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 fall of the wart, no scars 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 developing scars or scars are minimal.
The disadvantages of cryodestruction of plantar warts are:
- the need for a repeat course with a large area of the lesion or due to the size of the wart;
- human factor - the professionalism of the doctor performing this procedure is a guarantee of success. The doctor must correctly assess the time and degree of nitrogen exposure to the tissues, otherwise burns may occur;
- the discomfort caused by a swollen bladder and the need for its treatment are also considered to be disadvantages of the method.
In general, reviews for the treatment of plantar warts with the method of mixing with liquid nitrogen are positive, as it is the simplest, most effective and affordable way.
Laser removal
Laser removal is considered one of the most effective and safe 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 place of exposure. In addition, one or more injections are given before the operation to relieve the pain. During the procedure, the patient usually feels a slight tingling sensation. After removal of the neoplasm, no traces remain, as the laser burns the diseased tissue directly. 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 wart regrowth can be prevented.
The operation is performed under sterile conditions, there is no direct contact with the skin or the wart, and the duration of the operation is only a few minutes. The positive results of laser-assisted plantar wart removal also make this method the most attractive.
The main disadvantage of laser plantar wart removal is the high cost, which usually includes consultation with a doctor, anesthesia and the operation itself. In addition, after removal, the wound heals for a long time and requires hygiene.
Treatment of plantar wart
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, your doctor may prescribe immunotherapy and topical medications.
The need for immunotherapy, as a rule, is justified because the disease is caused by a virus, which, when the body is weakened, develops actively. 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.
The treatment of plantar wart takes a long time, it is important not to forget 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, as long as the person is a source of infection for everyone around. You should carefully consider this unpleasant disease and be sure to consult a dermatologist, who will definitely tell you how and how to treat a plantar wart.
The treatment of plantar wart directly depends on compliance with all hygiene standards and medical prescriptions, daily treatment of education is a guarantee of successful recovery.
Home treatment
All new skin growths cannot be ignored as the tension in cancer increases worldwide. Do not neglect the appointment with a specialist, he may prescribe treatment for plantar warts at home. In this case, special solutions, ointments and plaster for warts are usually prescribed.
Ointments are one of the easiest methods of treatment; they act on the wart itself, as a result of which it gradually dies and disappears. The following types of ointments are used in the treatment:
- antiviral ointment;
- acid-based ointment;
- various herbal ointments.
Ointments of salicylic acid and oxolinic ointment are most often prescribed. Any type of ointment is applied to the wart several times a day according to the instructions. When treating a plantar wart, it should be pre-boiled in warm water before applying the medicine. It is recommended to apply each ointment at night so that you do not have to step on the formation and wash the ointment.
To get rid of plantar warts at home, you can use a patch of salicylic acid. This product has a low price and proven effectiveness. The plaster 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 a simple medical plaster is fixed on top. You should change the patch at regular intervals. Removing a small wart can take about two weeks, but you can't leave the wart without a patch for a long time. As the treatment progresses, the area of the wart decreases, after 12 hours it is covered with a crust, which then disappears. After successful healing, a small pink spot 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 the use of this method to remove the wart, so the doctor must decide on the appointment of the patch.
Another way to treat plantar warts at home is hyperthermia. Legs affected by warts are immersed in the hottest possible water. 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, treatment with low temperatures can be used, similar to removing warts with liquid nitrogen. To do this, you can use special 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, there is no denying the effectiveness of folk remedies. Traditional medicine has gained extensive experience in the fight against warts and some methods remain effective.
- Celery juice is one of the most popular ways to remove thorns. You can use fresh plant juice or buy a collection of celandine in the pharmacy, which in addition to celandine juice contains other herbal extracts. The juice is applied once or twice a day on 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 swab soaked in the solution (it is important not to use undiluted vinegar) is applied to the affected area of skin, the area of skin is pre-treated with an abrasive nail file.
- Garlic is another folk remedy for treating warts. The formation should be rubbed with raw garlic until it disappears completely, but this method can be used no more than three weeks.
- Banana peel is applied with the inside on the affected area of skin, it is believed that it can remove the wart.
To determine the exact location of the lesion and not touch the adjacent tissue, you can use a piece of adhesive plaster. A hole is made in it up to the size of the neoplasm 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. The disease most often affects children over the age of five. Your doctor will help you identify a plantar wart in a child, as in some cases it may look like an old callus.
Although plantar warts in a child disappear on their own, you should not neglect their treatment, it is also worth remembering the possibility of infecting the whole family and the people around them. Plantar wart in a child almost always causes severe painful discomfort when walking, which requires prompt treatment and a visit to the doctor. Our service contains proven pediatric dermatologists and reviews for 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. For starters, you need to use different ointments - 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 the removal of liquid nitrogen and laser. Removing warts using these methods is one of the most radical methods. They are used 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. This is strengthening the immune system, careful hygiene and wearing appropriate comfortable shoes. It should be remembered that the risk of infection is particularly high in public and by another person, so you need to make sure that the child does not walk in someone else's shoes or barefoot. Any object that has come into direct contact with the formation must be thoroughly washed at high temperature. All these actions will help prevent the development of the virus in the future.
Danger
If the plantar wart removal procedure 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 you not to self-medicate - cutting, piercing or burning 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;
- HIV-infected.
Prevention
For the prevention of plantar warts, it is recommended that patients:
- strengthening immunity;
- eat more foods rich in vitamins;
- properly cares for the skin of the feet;
- do not wear tight shoes, shoes made of synthetic materials;
- in public places (locker rooms, showers) do not walk barefoot.