plantar wart, or spike, appears as a flat, hard formation that is difficult to touch on the skin of the foot, which rises slightly above the level of the skin. This type of wart is a benign epithelial tumor in nature, and the diagnosis is usually not difficult - the main method is dermatoscopy. Using a special device, the doctor visually determines the nature of the new formation. Warts can occur anywhere on the foot, but usually occur on the balls of the toes, on the ankles, where the most pressure is. The photo clearly shows what a plantar wart looks like, its appearance is very specific and usually leaves no doubt in the diagnosis. The formation has a dirty brown or unpleasant yellow color, characteristic coarse papules appear, which destroy the papillary patterns.
Because the form is located on the foot, it can cause pain and damage to the wart itself. For these reasons, thorns need to be treated, although plantar warts are unlikely to go away on their own without serious treatment.
Unfortunately, getting rid of warts is still not easy, so it is recommended to consult a dermatologist to reduce the risk of infection in other people, as well as to reduce the duration of treatment of the disease. The use of only folk remedies and independent attempts to get rid of the tumor is undesirable. Plantar warts have a deep root, it is almost impossible to remove them on their own, so relapses occur. Folk remedies often severely damage the surrounding tissues, which can lead to an increase in the area of injury and unpleasant consequences in the form of burns and scars.
Symptoms
If you suspect a neoplasm, you should not only know what the plantar wart looks like in the photo, but also remember that it is a characteristic feature of the disease:
- palpable itching at the site of formation;
- warts range in size from a few millimeters to 2 centimeters;
- Unlike corns, warts cause pain;
- bleeding during injury;
- pain while walking.
If you experience similar symptoms, contact your doctor immediately. Preventing the disease is easier than dealing with the consequences.
Causes of plantar warts
Plantar warts are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in the foot. The main route of transmission is contact, the infection occurs through common objects or directly from person to person. The favorable environment is heat and humidity, so it is important to take precautions when visiting the bath, pool, sauna and gym.
The cause may also be a weakened immune system, because under normal circumstances, human papillomavirus does not show visible manifestations.
This type of wart can also occur with microtrauma of the epidermis, dry skin, tight uncomfortable shoes, hyperhidrosis. Warts on the feet can also be caused by diseases that cause deformity of the foot - arthritis of the joints, osteoarthritis, flat feet, as well as diseases that cause damage to the integrity of the skin of the foot: diabetes mellitus, varicose veins. It is important to remember that stress can often have an indirect effect on the development of this disease.
HPV can be acquired accidentally during normal walking barefoot on an infected surface, and the virus can live for several months without a direct carrier. It may not show up for days or even weeks after entering the body, so it is not always possible to know the exact time of infection.
Diagnostics
To determine how to treat plantar warts, a dermatologist conducts a number of studies:
- general inspection;
- dermatoscopy;
- PCR diagnostics;
- histological examination.
How to treat plantar warts
When plantar warts appear, the question arises as to how to treat this neoplasm. When growths cause extreme discomfort and spread rapidly, the best way out is to contact a dermatologist as soon as possible, who will choose the most appropriate treatment option. There are several ways to solve this problem.
The most radical of them is operative: the wart and its roots are surgically removed. This method is not the most effective, because the roots of the neoplasm are located in the deeper layers of the skin. In some cases, they cannot be completely eliminated.
Removal of warts can be performed using laser and electrocoagulation, as well as cryotherapy.
In addition to removal in medical facilities, plantar warts can be removed by less radical methods, such as ointments, solutions, special patches, as well as folk remedies. These remedies for plantar warts have a number of advantages and disadvantages, the main of which is the long duration of treatment.
Removal of plantar warts
One of the most common ways to get rid of plantar warts is to remove them in specialized medical facilities. At the time of admission, the dermatologist should explain in detail how to get rid of plantar warts and choose the most appropriate method based on the results of the examination. Although the treatment of spines is difficult, there is no specific tool to remove them, all the methods that are relevant in the treatment of other types of warts are used. Removal of plantar warts can be done in an outpatient setting, but your doctor may prescribe remedies to help eliminate the growths at home.
Surgical removal of warts
Among other treatments, surgery is used to remove the warts. The wart is removed with a special scalpel under local anesthesia. If the plantar wart is significant after this procedure, sutures are placed under the skin and removed within a week or two. The wound area is treated with a disinfectant solution and an aseptic dressing is applied. There is usually a small scar at the removal site.
The difficulty with this method is that the doctor must remove all the roots during the operation, otherwise the plantar wart will reappear. Therefore, this method is used today only when all other methods of treatment are ineffective.
Extraction with liquid nitrogen
Extraction with liquid nitrogen involves exposing the neoplasm to extremely low temperatures, making it the most common modern and fastest way to treat plantar warts.
The method is based on self-freezing of the forming tissue. In fact, cracks form inside the wart cells, which cause the death of the wart under the influence of extremely low temperatures of -196 degrees Celsius.
Cryodostruction is performed manually or by apparatus. If the wart is large or the procedure is performed on a child, then local anesthesia should be used.
The duration of direct exposure to liquid nitrogen is up to 30 seconds. After the first caterpillar, the doctor should take a break to assess the effectiveness of the effect and the need for re-catering.
After freezing, a bubble of colorless or reddish liquid forms at the site of the wart, which indicates the beginning of the inflammatory process. This is a normal reaction to the catering procedure.
Cryosurgery is considered painless, but must be repeated several times to achieve the final effect in the treatment of plantar warts. There are no scars left after the wart falls.
The advantages of liquid nitrogen extraction are:
- ice cream eliminates the 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:
- with a large area of injury or the need for a second course due to the size of the wart;
- The human factor - the professionalism of the doctor performing this procedure is a guarantee of success. The physician must correctly assess the duration and extent of nitrogen exposure to the tissues, otherwise burns may occur;
- Discomfort caused by a swollen bladder and the need to treat it are also considered disadvantages of the method.
In general, the opinion on the treatment of plantar warts by catering with liquid nitrogen is positive, because it is the simplest, most effective and affordable method.
Laser removal
Laser removal is considered one of the most effective and safe methods. After laser treatment, the wart ceases to be contagious. The procedure itself is painless, a special nozzle is installed on the laser, which cools the affected area. In addition, one or more anesthetic injections are given before the operation. During the procedure, the patient usually feels a slight tingling sensation. Once the neoplasm is removed, no trace remains, as the laser directly burns the diseased tissue. 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 to prevent the re-growth of the wart.
The operation is performed under sterile conditions, without direct contact with the skin or warts, and the operation lasts only a few minutes. The positive results of laser removal of plantar warts also make this method the most attractive.
The main disadvantage of laser removal of plantar warts is the high cost, which usually includes medical advice, anesthesia and the operation itself. In addition, after removal, the wound heals for a long time and requires good hygiene.
Plantar Wart Treatment
Before treating plantar warts, you should 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 is usually justified, because the disease is caused by a virus that actively develops in a weakened state of the body. Local immunotherapies directly affect the virus in two ways. In the first case, the drug stimulates the immune system, and in the second, the antigen is injected into the body of the wart, which activates the immune system so that the wart can disappear faster.
Treatment of plantar warts takes a long time, it is important to remember to strengthen the immune system and follow the rules of hygiene. When left untreated and untreated, warts can go away on their own for more than a year, making a person a source of infection for everyone around them. You should carefully consider this unpleasant disease and be sure to contact a dermatologist who will definitely tell you how and when to treat plantar warts.
Treatment of plantar warts directly depends on compliance with all hygiene standards and doctor's prescriptions, daily treatment of the formation is a guarantee of a successful recovery.
Home treatment
Any new formations in the skin should not be ignored, as the tension of cancer is increasing all over the world. Ignore an appointment with a specialist, he can prescribe treatment for plantar warts at home. In this case, special solutions, ointments and wart patches are usually prescribed.
Ointments are one of the most gentle treatments, they affect the wart itself, as a result of which it gradually dies and disappears. The following types of ointments are used for treatment:
- antiviral ointment;
- acid-based ointment;
- various ointments based on herbal remedies.
Any type of ointment is applied to the warts in the direction of the spot several times a day according to the instructions. When treating plantar warts, the drug should be pre-evaporated in warm water before applying. It is recommended to apply any ointment at night to avoid stepping on the formation and washing the ointment.
You can use a special patch based on salicylic acid to get rid of plantar warts at home. This tool has a low cost and proven effectiveness. The patch is sold in pharmacies without a prescription, the principle of its use is very simple - the wart is sealed with a piece of patch and a regular medical patch is attached to it. You need to change the patch regularly. It can take about two weeks to remove a small wart, and you should not leave the warts unattended for a long time. As the treatment continues, the wart area decreases, after 12 hours it is covered with a crust and then disappears. After successful treatment, a small pink spot remains on the skin, which should disappear completely over time.
Care should be taken when applying the patch - healthy areas of the skin should be avoided when applying, otherwise severe irritation may occur. There are contraindications to the use of this method to remove the spleen, so the decision to prescribe a patch should be made by a doctor.
Another way to treat plantar warts at home is hyperthermia. Warts affected by warts are immersed in as much warm water as possible. Such procedures are repeated several times. In some cases, hyperthermia has a positive effect. The mechanism of the procedure is based on the excitation of small blood vessels in the legs and the activation of local immunity.
At home, you can use a low-temperature treatment with the analogy of removing warts with liquid nitrogen. You can use special pen-applicators or sprays for this. As with cryosurgery, several applications may be required.
Treatment with folk remedies
Although modern medicines are more effective and the process of removing plantar warts is faster with their help, the effectiveness of treatment with folk remedies can not be denied. Traditional medicine has a great deal of experience in combating warts, and some methods remain effective.
- Celandine juice is one of the most popular methods for removing thorns. You can use the juice of a fresh plant or buy a medicine with other plant extracts along with celandine juice in a pharmacy. The juice is applied to the affected area once or twice a day.
- Acetic acid is used in combination with various supplements to eliminate warts. In addition to pickles, onions and flour are used. You can instill the acid directly into the affected area, but this method is very dangerous due to the high risk of serious 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 the skin, the skin area is pre-treated with an abrasive nail file.
- Garlic is another folk remedy for treating warts. Raw garlic should be rubbed on the formation until it is completely gone, but this method can be used no more than three weeks.
- Banana peel is applied from the inside to the damaged area of the skin, it is believed that it can lengthen warts.
You can use an adhesive tape to stain the location of the lesion and not affect the adjacent tissues. Depending on the size of the neoplasm, a hole is drilled in it and the adjacent healthy skin remains intact. This prevents 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 often affects children over the age of five. A doctor will help a child recognize plantar warts, because in some cases they look like old corns.
Although plantar warts go away on their own in a child, their treatment should not be neglected, it is worth remembering the possibility of infecting the whole family and others. Plantar warts in a child almost always cause severe painful discomfort while walking, so they require urgent treatment and a visit to the doctor.
It is very difficult to find therapy because children are sensitive to pain. To get started, it is worth using different ointments - they are affordable, easy to use and effective. Folk remedies are also widely used, their safety is not in doubt.
Effective methods to remove plantar warts in children are liquid nitrogen and laser removal. Removal of warts with these methods is one of the most radical methods. They are used in cases where solutions and ointments do not give the desired effect.
It is important to remember to prevent plantar warts in children after treatment. This means strengthening the immune system, careful hygiene and wearing the right comfortable shoes. Keep in mind that the risk of infection is especially high in public places and from another person, so you need to make sure that the child does not walk in someone else's shoes or barefoot. Anything that comes in direct contact with the mold should be washed thoroughly at high temperatures. All these measures 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, for example:
- appearance of warts on other areas of the skin;
- skin cancer.
Doctors strongly advise against self-medication - cutting, piercing or cauterizing warts will worsen the condition and lead to the formation of new warts.
Risk group
Risk group:
- people with hormonal disorders in the body;
- Infected with HIV.
Prevention
It is recommended for patients to prevent plantar warts:
- strengthen immunity;
- eat more foods rich in vitamins;
- proper skin care;
- do not wear narrow shoes, shoes made of synthetic materials;
- Do not walk barefoot in public places (dressing rooms, showers).