Plantar Warts

Plantar warts are tiny, rough lesions that can form anywhere on the bottom of one or both feet, though they tend to appear most often on the balls and the heels—the places where pressure is most often placed. Some patients have one or two plantar warts; others have many.

Though they are not a serious health concern, plantar warts do indicate the presence of a contagious virus within the body, and if the warts themselves become irritated, they can cause enough pain to limit your mobility.

What are the Symptoms of Plantar Warts?

If you have or suspect you have plantar warts, you may notice the presence of one or more of the following symptoms:

Difficulty walking, standing, running, and engaging in other physical activities.
Bleeding
Pain
Calluses
Clotted blood vessels, also known as wart seeds, that appear in the center of each wart (little black spots).

What Causes Plantar Warts?

The human papillomavirus (HPV) causes plantar warts. The particular strain that causes plantar warts spreads in warm, moist environments such as gyms, locker rooms, and swimming pool decks. When a person walks barefoot through these areas, they can contract the virus through cuts, tears, or other open wounds on their feet.

How to Prevent Plantar Warts?

There are many effective ways to prevent plantar warts. These include:

Treat wounds: If you have a cut, scrape, or another noticeable abrasion on your foot, take the steps necessary to heal the wound accordingly.
Protect your feet: Avoid walking barefoot in showers, near swimming pools, and in other environments where wearing shoes is optional. Always protect your feet by wearing proper footwear.
Don’t share: While it’s kind to share, it’s best to avoid sharing personal items such as socks and towels; these and other similar items can harbor the virus.
Keep up good hygiene: Keep your feet clean by washing them with gentle soaps, and then allowing them to dry thoroughly. You may also wish to apply a daily moisturizer that will prevent your feet from becoming dry or cracked.
Resist touching the warts: It’s best not to touch, pick, or scratch your warts or someone else’s. If you must, wash your hands afterward.

Treatment for Plantar Warts

Here at Sunshein Podiatry Associates, we’re dedicated to offering you the most appropriate and effective treatment methods to address your plantar warts.

Some different treatments for plantar warts are:

Cryotherapy

Crytotherapy involves applying liquid nitrogen directly to your plantar warts. Freezing warts continues to be regarded as an effective approach that involves minimal scarring. The procedure, however, can be painful, which may call for the use of a local anesthetic.

Salicylic Acid

A prescription-strength topical treatment is not only painless, but can also be applied in the comfort of your own home. Daily applications allow the salicylic acid to peel away the layers of skin where the plantar warts have formed until the warts disappear altogether.

Surgery

If other removal methods have failed—or perhaps worked, but the warts return time and time again—it’s possible that a doctor may recommend surgery. If you elect to have your plantar warts removed by way of surgical excision, the doctor will apply a local anesthetic and cut out the growth(s). Scarring may occur, as well as post-surgery pain.

Swift Therapy

We are proud to offer Swift Therapy at Sunshein Podiatry Associates. This is the best and most effective treatment for plantar warts on the market. Why? Because Swift Therapy treats the warts from the inside-out, not the outside-in. Using precise doses of microwave energy, Swift Therapy targets not only the warts but also their underlying cause: the HPV virus. If your immune system begins to fight off the virus, then the warts will begin to disappear.

What’s more, once the virus is out of your system, the likelihood of the warts returning is slim. The treatments involve minor pain/discomfort, making Swift Therapy an ideal treatment option for those with low pain tolerance. This safe, innovative, and revolutionary new therapy has received FDA approval, and the long-lasting results are impressive.

Contact Us Today for Expert Treatments for Plantar Warts!

Sunshein Podiatry Associates remains dedicated to providing the best foot and ankle care to you and your loved ones. Dr. Sunshein takes pride in successfully treating foot problems such as plantar warts.

For more information about our practice, and to schedule an appointment, please contact us today by calling 937-435-7477. We’ll do everything we can to ensure that you leave our office feeling confident that all your questions were answered, all your concerns addressed, and all your recommended treatment methods discussed.

Plantar warts can go away on their own. For children, it could take months. For adults, years. If your plantar warts are embarrassing, intrusive, painful, and/or frustrating, we’d be happy to help you get rid of them once and for all.

Get in Touch

P: (937) 435-7477
F: (937) 435-6644

Location

6474 Centerville Business Pkwy, Centerville, OH 45459

Hours

Monday: 8am - 5pm
Tuesday: 8am - 5pm
Wednesday: 8am - 5pm
Thursday: 8am - 5pm
Friday: 8am - 2pm