Plantar Wart Treatment

Plantar warts are caused by infection of horny skin by human papilloma virus. This virus likes thick callused hairless skin such as foot soles, the underside of your toes and finger tips. You pick up HPV through cuts or abrasions of your skin that contact infected surfaces such as public baths where skin is shed. Many people's immune system can clear warts within a year without any help but some people find it very difficult to do so.

Plantar Wart Symptoms

• Pain in your foot sole with pressure such as walking or standing.
• Raised circular cratered bumps of skin on your soles and toes. In the center you may see little black dots which are damaged clotted capillaries.
• Plantar warts are most common over the ball and ridge of your foot - the front pressure pads of your feet.

Plantar Wart Treatment

• Plantar warts are treated by terminating the human papilloma virus. Over the counter preparations are typically cold or chemical burn therapies.
• Duct tape. Application of duct tape continuously for a couple weeks is a simple plantar wart remedy from home. It works by changing the living environment of the wart. Remember that HPV likes dry callused skin with lots of air. By applying duct tape continuously you change the skin underneath to soggy and suffocated.
• Cryotherapy. This is done in a healthcare office. Liquid nitrogen at around -200 degrees Celsius is applied either from a "gun" or applied by a cotton tipped stick to the wart for 5-10 seconds destroying the HPV by an artificial frostbite.
• Diathermy. This is an opposite approach using high heat to burn the wart off.
• Laser blasts vaporize warts and are very accurate.
• Podophyllin / Canthrone are blistering agents which burn and alter wart skin conditions evicting HPV.
• Salicylic acid which breaks down warts turning them white in the process.
• Antiviral topical's such as Imiquimod / Aldara by prescription.
• Vitamin A analogues. Similar to accutane used for acne, these topicals irritate the skin making it hostile to HPV.
• Natural cures. These oils or compounds typically use naturally occurring astringents to alter wart conditions to unfavorable for HPV.
• All the above wart treatments are more effective if combined with shaving down the dead skin above warts between treatments to reach the deeper infected tissue.

Doctor Secrets! "Plantar wart treatment typically takes 6 to 12 weeks of treatment, so don't feel discouraged by poor results within the first couple weeks."

Plantar Warts Information

 

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