Warts are a common skin condition that can occur anywhere on your body, including your feet. If you have a wart on your foot, it’s referred to as a plantar wart. While a plantar wart can resolve on its own, if your wart is causing pain or it’s making it hard for you to do the things you enjoy, Vito La Puma, DPM, and the team at Healthy Step Podiatry, with an office located in Midtown East and the Financial District of New York City, can help. Call the office today or request an appointment online.
What is a plantar wart?
A plantar wart is a growth that occurs on the bottom of your foot. You develop plantar warts after being exposed to the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can enter your body through a tiny cut or break in the skin of your foot.
Symptoms of a plantar wart include:
- Small, rough lesion on the bottom of your foot
- Large callus with a defined center
- Pain when walking
- Grainy growth on your foot with a black center
Plantar warts aren’t harmful and in many cases, they can resolve on their own in time. But the team at Healthy Step Podiatry advises against the use of at-home treatments for your plantar warts.
When should I seek medical help for my plantar wart?
While plantar warts aren’t usually a medical concern, you should have your plantar wart evaluated by the specialists at Healthy Step Podiatry so you can get rid of it quickly.
Other reasons you may want to seek medical help for your plantar wart include:
- Your wart has changed in color or is bleeding
- You have diabetes or HIV
- Your plantar wart is affecting your daily activities
- You have a growth on your foot that doesn’t look like a plantar wart
The team at Healthy Step Podiatry can examine your growth and determine if it’s a plantar wart. If there’s any question, your specialist may take a sample of the growth and have it analyzed by a pathologist.
What is the treatment for plantar warts?
Your specialist at Healthy Step Podiatry works one-on-one with you to develop the most effective treatment for your plantar warts. Treatment options include:
Salicylic acid
Salicylic acid is a prescription medication that helps peel away your wart one layer at a time.
Cryotherapy
During cryotherapy, your specialist uses liquid nitrogen to freeze the plantar wart. The freezing mechanism causes a blister to form around the wart, which sloughs within a week of treatment. Cryotherapy may also stimulate your immune system to help fight off the virus.
Laser treatment
If the acid or freezing methods fail to get rid of your plantar warts, then your specialist may recommend laser treatment, which uses heat energy to cauterize, or burn, the wart. You may need more than one laser treatment to remove the wart.
Plantar warts are common and with the right treatment, you can get rid of them quickly. For expert care for your plantar warts, call Healthy Step Podiatry today or request an appointment online.