Warts, including plantar warts, are the most typical infection of the skin resulting from a virus. A plantar wart develops on the plantar, or to put simply, the bottom part of the feet. They usually grow in parts of pressure like the ball and heel of the feet. Plantar warts usually develop into the deeper portions of the skin since the pressure they get is typical of their location.
Symptoms
Usually, warts disappear on their own in time. However, plantar warts should be properly tended to so as to reduce the symptoms, particularly pain. Proper treatment is also used to minimize the chance of transmission to others and reduce the time it takes for symptoms to go away. Since the incubation period for warts can be as long as over a year, it can be hard to notice precisely when the virus initially infected the body. A plantar wart can trigger pain, especially when walking. They may infect other locations of the body beginning at the foot. Though, they often do not grow into parts that are a different type of skin. This means that this type of wart does not infect sexual organs.
Risks and Causes
The chances of infection are higher with skin damage, usage of public showers and a weakened immune system. Basically, you can get warts via direct contact with HPV, which stands for human papillomavirus. There are over one hundred types of HPV. Some kinds of HPV usually trigger the growth of warts on the hands, fingers and by the fingernails. On the other hand, there are those warts that generally grow on the feet, and one type is the plantar wart.
The virus that results in plantar wart growth is not considered highly contagious, however, it does survive better in moist, warm surroundings. Such ideal surroundings include locker rooms, shower floors and public swimming places. Thus, you may acquire the virus by walking around public places without footwear.
Similar to other infectious diseases, JPV may also be passed from one individual to the next. If you happen to have a plantar wart, you can even transmit the virus to other parts of your body aside from your feet by scratching or touching. It can also be transmitted via contact with blood from a wart or skin sloughed from a wart.
The immune system does not react the same way among people, so not every individual who is exposed to HPV grows warts. Even those in the same family respond to the virus differently. This is why parents and children don’t always spread warts by using the same shower.
Diagnosis
Usually, your physician can test you for warts just by checking your feet. If there’s any indication of a possible plantar wart, he or she may need to scrape the bump. Plantar warts will indicate signs of bleeding from their dark spots, which are actually tiny blood vessels that grew into them. If more investigation is needed, a small portion of the wart may have to be taken and sent to the lab for further tests.
Treatment
There are many ways to eliminate plantar warts. These include undergoing laser surgical treatment and electrodessication. However, these are often used as a last resort because of their invasive methods. You can first try over-the-counter medications, where there are now more natural and less harsh products available.