How To Remove Plantar Warts
Plantar warts are warts that are most commonly found on the pressure areas of the foot. They are a result of infection with the human pappilomavirus and can cause irritation and pain. Plantar warts are usually diagnosed by their appearance, rough, spongy, brown, grey, or yellow in color with small pinpoints. Plantar warts differ from most other types in that the majority of the wart is beneath the surface.
Causes
Plantar warts are caused when the HPV virus enters the body through a small cut or abrasion. People at highest risk are those who use public facilities with bare feet, such as a shower at the gym.
Common Prevention Strategies
• Walk barefoot as little as possible, especially in public areas
• Keep feet dry
• Change socks frequently
• Do not ignore growths
• See a podiatrist yearly
Removal
Regardless of their cause if you have one you want to know one thing, “how to remove plantar warts?” Many of the treatments are similar to other wart removal techniques however, they are complicated by the fact that plantar warts grow in deeper tissue. This makes it difficult for topical applications to reach the entire wart and kill it.
The best way to remove a plantar wart is with the help of a physician or podiatrist. A skilled professional can apply a mild acid to the wart; this will take several treatments spread out over many weeks. The acid will destroy the viral cells and allow new healthy tissue to grow. Other more intense treatments may include but are not limited to:
• Laser Treatment- A physician uses a laser to treat the plantar wart, they use a local anesthetic so the procedure is painless.
• Cryotherapy- This treatment involves using extreme cold to freeze the wart. It will turn black and fall off in a few days; this treatment is sometimes ineffective when the freeze does not go deep enough to kill the virus.
• Surgical- When all else, fails plantar warts can be surgically removed. This is normally done on an outpatient basis under a local anesthetic.
Conclusion
It seems that the best prescription for how to remove a plantar wart is prevention. This type of wart is painful and very resistant to over the counter treatment. If you find yourself, feeling as if you are walking on a pebble you should see your physician or podiatrist as soon as possible.
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