People see a podiatrist or foot doctor for a variety of reasons, from simple corns and calluses which they treat with creams to the more extreme problems like neuroma or plantar fasciitis which they treat with surgeries. One of the problems that people consult a podiatrist with is plantar warts.
What are plantar warts?
Plantar warts are deep warts which grow on the foot. They are noncancerous and do not pose any health risk. However, they can be really annoying and painful, which is what prompts patients to go see a podiatrist. Since they are located mostly on the pressure points of the feet like the ball of the foot, they can cause anyone to feel excruciating pain when walking, running, or when they wear tight and ill-fitting shoes. If the wart is left untreated or ignored, it can grow up to one inch in diameter and even spread into clusters or colonies.
What causes plantar warts?
Unlike corns and calluses, plantar warts are caused by a viral infection, to be more specific, the human papilloma virus. As a podiatrist will tell you, this virus can usually be contacted from showers and baths, and are also present in many dirty areas. When you walk in such places, the virus enters the body through the different lines and cuts on the feet.
The virus is also known to be contacted when you walk barefoot in unsanitary areas, or when you do not change socks and shoes occasionally. They can even be transferred from contact with other people who have plantar warts. As mentioned, plantar warts are caused by a virus, and virus like bacteria can easily spread when left ignored.
How do you know if you have plantar warts?
It is easy to mistake plantar warts for a callus, especially to the untrained eye since they both look like hardened skin. However, a podiatrist should be able to help you distinguish between the two, as it is important to know the difference in order to get the proper medical attention. There are several signs by which you can identify plantar warts. For one, plantar warts first manifest themselves as black pinpoints, which are actually clotted blood vessels on the foot. There will also be small lesions, which are fleshy and grainy.
What can a podiatrist do?
A podiatrist or a foot doctor is a medical professional that deals primarily with foot injuries and other problems related to the foot or other lower extremities of the body. Thus, they are the specialists whom you turn to when you have plantar warts.
Podiatrists can treat plantar warts through several procedures. First, they need to examine the plantar wart and determine the degree of infection that occurred. After that, they will then prescribe a treatment which will work best for your condition, and help you prepare for a wart-removal procedure. Most podiatrists treat warts by surgically removing them. They inject the anesthesia and cut out the wart, which usually leaves a crater on your foot. Depending on the size of the crater, you may be able to walk comfortably for several hours or days. Alternatively, they can use lasers to remove the wart, which lessens the scarring that occurs after the procedure.
If you see any abnormal lesions or growth in your soles, be sure to contact a podiatrist immediately. Having them checked and removed immediately will not only help to stop the spread of the virus, but also allow you to walk and move without pain. Click here to learn more about the specific procedure that the podiatrist uses.
↧
Getting Plantar Warts Removed by a Podiatrist
↧