Plantar Warts

What are Plantar Warts?

Plantar warts are a common skin infection that occurs on the bottom side of your foot. Warts are benign tumors of the epidermis. They often spread to other areas of the foot, increase in size, and multiply.

Plantar warts are very painful and tender. They are usually rough, bumpy, and spongy. Some may be thick and scaly.

Risks

Activities that will increase your chances of developing plantar wards are:

• Using a public shower or
• walking around the locker room in your bare feet

What causes Plantar Warts?

Warts are caused by a the human pappiloma virus (HPV). The HPV virus enters the body through a break in the skin. The virus grows in warm, moist environments, such as those created in a locker room or in your shoes when your feet perspire and the moisture is trapped.

What do Plantar Warts look like?

Plantar warts are gray or brown and have a center with one or more dark pinpoints. The dark pinpoints are tiny capillaries that supply blood to the wart.

Most times, the portion of the plantar wart under the skin is at least twice as big as the part you can see.

Can Plantar Warts be Treated?

Yes. There are several different treatments for Plantar Warts. Your doctor can trim the wart and a topical prescribe medicine that will make the wart disappear. The medicine must be applied regularly until the entire wart is dissolved. It may take several weeks for the wart to completely disappear.

Some of the most common treatments are:

If left untreated, plantar warts may grow up to an inch in circumference and may spread into clusters.

Can Plantar Warts be Prevented?

Yes. Some common ways to prevent plantar warts are:

• Wear shower thongs or sandals when you use a public locker room or shower.
• Use foot powders and change your socks frequently to keep the feet dry.