Spring and summer bring about amazing weather that everyone wants to get out to enjoy. Once you head outside for summer activities, the last thing that you want to think about is plantar warts on your feet. If you are dealing with plantar warts in Marysville, then you will find that your podiatrist can give you some helpful information. What many people need to realize is that using public pools or showers, and even walking around barefoot could be the cause of man instances of plantar warts.

What Exactly Are Plantar Warts?

Essentially, a plantar wart is a type of viral infection in the skin. These warts are generated by human papillomavirus (HPV). There are a variety of strains, but only a few of them can cause these warts on the feet. Generally speaking, plantar warts are not harmful and are non-cancerous.

What happens is the infection makes its way into the skin through some sort of open wound or cut, or by having direct or indirect contact with someone who has a wart. This could be as simple as someone having a wart on their hand develop touches something that someone else touches. But, they can also spread when people are in waterparks, pools, or public showers without having shoes on.

What Plantar Warts Look Like

These warts are usually relatively small and may show up initially as a little black dot. From there, they can grow to the size similar to that of a pencil eraser. They may also grow in clusters, which is when they are called mosaic warts. Looking at them, you will see a smooth, flat surface and a yellow-gray or brown coloration. These plantar warts usually show up on the heel or ball of the foot or other pressure points. Whenever you have any type of suspicious growth on your foot, it is best to have it looked at by a podiatrist.

Know Your Treatment Options

When talking to your podiatrist, you will learn that you do have several treatment options. It is best to remember that there is no rapid remedy, meaning that it could take a few weeks or longer to notice a difference. Warts will often reside deep into the layers of the skin where it shields itself. Because the recurrence rate of warts is so high, the best method is working with a trained professional.

Your podiatrist may talk with you about acid treatment. However, if the wart seems to be more stubborn, then another option will be numbing the area and then cutting it out.

A lot of people like to try over-the-counter (OTC) liquids or ointments, but you need to remember that there can be serious issues when using OTC options for too long. Some patients may start to notice issues such as:

• Irritated skin
• Infection
• Pain
• Scarring, and more

Because of the issues that OTC medications often bring, they are also not recommended for use on people with circulation issues, diabetes, or for infants.

If you have plantar warts in Marysville or other foot concerns, Mill Creek Foot & Ankle can help. Call Dr. Hall at (425) 482-6663 today!