Home Care
Plantar warts grow on the bottom surface of the foot, where they may cause considerable pain when walking. They are caused by a virus and can affect anyone of any age. According to the American Podiatric Medical Association, this type of wart affects children between the ages of 12 and 16 more often than any other age group.
Although plantar warts generally heal on their own with enough time and do not spread to different types of skin, such as the mouth or genitals, treatment is often preferred due to the level of discomfort they cause. For those who desire to treat plantar warts at home without medical assistance, some remedies exist that may help. Home treatment focuses on hastening recovery and reducing pain. It may include vitamin A applications, immersing the affected area in hot water for 60 to 90 minutes daily, keeping the affected foot dry and using medicated powders.
Acid Applications
Warts are commonly burned off with a mild acid solution. This treatment can be performed at home by using an over-the-counter salicylic acid preparation, or in a podiatrist's office using various acids, such as cantharidin, dicloroacetic acid, or salicylic acid. Acid kills the viral cells, preventing them from replicating and allowing healthy skin cells to grow in their place. Acid applications may need to be repeated over the course of weeks or months to be fully effective, but this treatment option has a high rate of long-term success.
Laser Treatments
Laser treatment is performed in a doctor's office or in an outpatient surgery center under local anesthesia. Laser treatments typically leave no scars and have proven very effective at removing plantar warts. However, this type of treatment can be very expensive and some insurance policies will not cover the procedure. For this reason, many doctors do not regularly offer laser treatment until all other treatment options have proven ineffective.
Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy involves freezing plantar warts with an extremely cold solution, such as sodium nitrate, in order to kill the virus responsible for causing the warts. Plantar warts will turn black following the procedure and will typically fall off within two to three days. However, this procedure is not always effective. In order to destroy the virus that causes plantar warts, the solution needs to penetrate into deep layers of skin tissue. In some cases, penetration is not deep enough, and the procedure may need to be repeated.
Surgical Removal
Surgical removal of plantar warts is a common procedure, but it increases the risk of a painful scar developing at the site of removal. Curettage is a type of surgical procedure used to remove multiple small warts at one time. The procedure is performed under anesthetic, and acid is sometimes applied to the area following curettage to prevent the plantar warts from returning. Curettage may also be used to remove one or more isolated warts.
Tags: plantar warts, have proven, However this, need repeated, plantar warts