Several different types of warts can infect your feet, the most well-known being plantar warts, or verrucas. You can get rid of your warts easily by visiting specialist podiatric clinic Dr. Simon Becker DPM, with branches in West Orange and Elmwood Park, New Jersey. To find out more about a cure for uncomfortable plantar warts, call Dr. Simon Becker DPM today to schedule a consultation, or book an appointment using the online form.

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Warts

What sort of warts might affect my feet?

Plantar warts or verrucas are the most common type of wart affecting feet. They usually come up on the toes and soles of your feet and look like small calluses. Some plantar warts cause few symptoms, but when they develop in a part of your foot that comes under pressure or is more sensitive, plantar warts can be uncomfortable.

Plantar warts aren’t a serious condition, and they often disappear over time without treatment. However, they can put pressure on nerves in your feet that make you change the way you walk to avoid the discomfort. This, in turn, leads to strain on other parts of your body and causes musculoskeletal aches and pains.

What causes warts?

Plantar warts develop from an HPV (human papillomavirus) infection. Warts in other areas of your body are often due to various strains of HPV, and if you include all the different strains of HPV, it’s one of the commonest infections across the United States.

Very often, people who have HPV don’t know it, because their immune system attacks the virus and kills it before they start developing symptoms.

You can prevent infection with HPV and other conditions like foot fungus by:

  • Not touching warts
  • Changing socks and shoes every day
  • Keeping feet clean and dry
  • Avoiding going barefoot

You should check your feet regularly for any signs of warts, and if you have children, check their feet for them. At the first sign of a wart infection, schedule a visit at Dr. Simon Becker DPM

What treatments are available for warts?

There are treatments available from the pharmacist for treating warts, but it’s best to avoid these and get a proper diagnosis from a podiatrist at Dr. Simon Becker DPM.

Although not likely, it’s possible that what you think is a wart could be a cancerous lesion, so it’s always sensible to make sure rather than assuming there’s nothing to worry about.

Once your podiatrist confirms you have warts, they can provide several types of treatment, including:

  • Compound wart medications
  • Prescription-strength salicylic acid
  • Prescription anti-neoplastic medications
  • Immunotherapy with intralesional injections
  • Cryotherapy (liquid nitrous oxide)

These treatments should destroy the virus and heal your warts, and in most cases, patients don’t require surgery for plantar warts.

If you see a lesion or wart developing on your foot, call Dr. Simon Becker DPM to arrange a consultation, or book an appointment using the online tool.