Plantar Warts - JOI Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute (2024)

FAQs

Does having a Plantars wart mean I have HPV? ›

Plantar warts are caused by an infection with HPV in the outer layer of skin on the soles of the feet. The warts develop when the virus enters through tiny cuts, breaks or weak spots on the bottom of the foot. If left untreated, warts can last from a few months to 2 years in children, and several years in in adults.

Podiatrists use a variety of treatments to remove warts more quickly. These include topical medications, cryotherapy, laser therapy, and surgical removal. If you have foot warts that are bothering you, please consult with a podiatrist. Plantar warts can be very uncomfortable.

Cryotherapy uses liquid nitrogen to freeze and destroy a wart. Research has shown cryotherapy effectively removes warts in 50–70% of cases after 3–4 treatments. Cryotherapy may remove warts more quickly than salicylic acid.

In many cases, if we attack the main and first wart (the mother wart), then other warts, even in remote areas may be cleared. In one study, a 69% success rate was reported, but there are other reports showing a higher success rate.

Although most plantar warts will go away on their own after a few years, it's possible to remove them through self-care or with a doctor's help. Most warts are fairly harmless. They're skin growths caused by a strain of the human papillomavirus (HPV); however, plantar warts aren't the same as genital warts.

Are warts contagious? Yes, plantar warts can and do spread within households from direct contact. This is because the type of virus that causes warts in the feet specifically, called HPV (human papillomavirus), is a contagious virus that thrives in warm and moist places - like your shower or if sharing a pair of shoes.

How much does it cost to remove a plantar wart? The pricing varies, but usually covered by health care insurance. Cash prices vary from $50 with topical medication, $100 with cryotherapy (liquid nitrogen), to $500 if surgically removed.

Plantar warts are commonly mistaken for calluses. Calluses are thickened areas of skin that develop on parts of the foot that bear a lot of pressure or where the skin is constantly rubbing against a shoe or other material.

Curettage is a surgical procedure where the area around the wart is numbed by a local anaesthetic. The podiatrist then removes the wart tissue to expose healthy skin. Phenol chemical is then used to burn the wart tissue and silver nitrate is used to stem the bleeding.

A plantar wart will appear to have gone away if the area feels smooth, there are visible lines of the skin crossing the treated area, there are no black dots, and the skin area may appear lighter.

Does Compound W Freeze Off work on warts? ›

Warts are usually gone in two weeks after treatment with Compound W Freeze Off®. If a wart or part of it is still there two weeks after treatment, you may then safely treat it again. Do not treat each wart with Compound W Freeze Off® more than three times in total.

Prescription-strength wart medications with salicylic acid work by removing layers of a wart a little bit at a time. Studies show that salicylic acid is more effective when combined with freezing. Freezing (cryotherapy). Freezing therapy done at a doctor's office involves applying liquid nitrogen to your wart.

Plantar warts are most common on the parts of the foot that receive the most pressure when you're standing or walking. Since those are two things you can't avoid, additional standing and walking increase the pressure on the wart and send it further inward, deep into your skin.

Plantar warts are highly contagious. Once one develops, if left unchecked, it can quickly spread to other parts of your foot. Soon, you'll have multiple warts to deal with instead of just one. Additionally, the warts or area around them may become infected, leading to serious issues.

When a plantar wart does not go away after cryotherapy, it is usually because the entire wart was not exposed to the treatment. That can happen when a wart is very thick or the surface area of a wart is large. Another round of cryotherapy is then needed to eliminate the wart completely.

Laser treatment.

Pulsed-dye laser treatment burns closed (cauterizes) tiny blood vessels. The infected tissue eventually dies, and the wart falls off. This method needs to be repeated every 2 to 4 weeks.

Two (2) zinc gluconate 50 mg capsules will be taken three (3) times a day for 60 days. Primary Outcome Measures : Efficacy based on the resolution rate (i.e. the percentage of baseline warts that resolve completely) on Days 30 and 60 [ Time Frame: 60 days ]

It may never go away completely with duct tape alone. Occasionally, it takes more professional treatment options to get rid of a plantar wart. However, many report that it can take up to two months to get rid of a wart using the duct tape method.

Since this foot condition can be spread through contact due to HPV, there is a possibility that warts can be spread through an infected person's contact with bed sheets.

Do I have to throw away shoes after getting a wart? No, you don't have to throw your shoes away. The best thing to do is to wash your shoes or spray them with Lysol. A significant step is to ensure you're wearing fresh socks every day and leave your shoes to dry out for 24 hours before wearing them again.

Can you get a pedicure with plantar warts? ›

A pedicure, moisture, foot filing or a pumice stone can make it worse, she said. And you don't want to risk infecting the person who comes after you. Warts can spread and shouldn't be in water touched by other people. They can hide in files, buffers and instruments, Sutera said.

For warts that are stubborn or those that cause pain such as plantar warts, the dermatologist may recommend more invasive treatment to achieve relief sooner. In a curettage, the doctor can scrape off or cut the warts out using a sharp tool.

Warts will be rated as 50 percent disabling if there is ulceration or extensive exfoliation or crusting, and systemic or nervous manifestations, or if the warts are exceptionally repugnant. 38 C.F.R. § 4.118, Diagnostic Code 7806 (1995).

The risk of damaging healthy tissue or experiencing infection in your feet is greatly increased in these circ*mstances. So, don't risk it! See a podiatrist for plantar warts and receive personalised advice and safe treatment.

Plantar warts often look like circular spots of thick, callused skin. These spots will typically have tiny black dots on the surface, which are actually bits of dried blood. Plantar warts are usually flat and grow inwards as pressure from walking is applied to them. This often leads to pain.

Plantar warts grow deep within the skin before showing symptoms like thickened skin, pain and tiny black dots. You can discover how deep your plantar wart is by undergoing treatment with your podiatrist.

Plantar warts often begin as a small, round area of rough or thickened skin but may grow to involve larger areas (picture 3). Close examination of a plantar wart will show that it interrupts the normal skin lines that are found on the soles of the feet.

One theory is that the tape deprives the skin cells of oxygen. By “suffocating” the wart, the duct tape makes it more likely that the skin cells will die. The process of applying and removing the duct tape may also remove additional skin cells, which can make the wart less bulky and noticeable.

Also try to keep it off the normal skin. The acid will turn the wart into dead skin (it will turn white).

How long does the plantar wart virus live? ›

The virus loves warm and moist environments like public or indoor pools, locker rooms, shower floors and bathtubs. In fact, it's been known to live on surfaces for up to six months, just waiting for another foot to come along.

Some individual trials have found salicylic acid and cryotherapy to be equally effective, with cure rates of 50% to 70%, but there is some evidence that cryotherapy is particularly effective for hand warts.

The Warts That Bind Your Family And Friends

But some people use wart-freezing devices too enthusiastically, which can damage skin even if there's no fire, dermatologists say. Overuse can severely damage the surrounding skin, leading to redness, blisters or the death of tissue.

Be patient as it takes up to 12 weeks to get rid of warts. One will need a bottle of wart medication like Occlusal-HP or Compound W, a roll of 1-inch surgical tape ('Micropore' or 'Blenderm' are good) and a pumice stone or emery board.

Conclusion: Hydrogen peroxide solution (3% and 6%) is an effective, safe, and cheap treatment modality for nongenital warts which can be used simply at home.

Most warts will persist for one to two years if they are left untreated. Eventually, the body will recognize the virus and fight it off, causing the wart to disappear. While they remain, however, warts can spread very easily when people pick at them or when they are on the hands, feet or face.

We encourage people to make sure they use a little anti-virus spray or a little diluted bleach to spray the bathtub to kill any wart virus that might be living there to help prevent the spread of the virus.

Your doctor may try applying topical solutions such as salicylic acid to eliminate the plantar warts. Such treatment may take several weeks to be effective. Burning, freezing with liquid nitrogen, laser therapy, and surgical removal, are more aggressive options for more severe conditions.

You should always have at least a thin layer of protection for your feet, such as flip flops or shower shoes.

Walking barefoot in public places that are damp and warm, like areas around saunas, gyms, or pool decks, provide the perfect storm of conditions for foot warts. A simple weak spot on your foot, like a small cut, provides an invitation for the HPV virus to enter the skin.

Can plantar warts spread in bath water? ›

Plantar warts may cause pain. The virus can exist wherever you go barefoot. Areas that are wet or damp (shower stalls, pools, gyms, hot tubs, spas, dojos, dance studios, etc.) can often harbor the virus, and it can easily be passed on within families.

In our study, patients with warts had significantly lower mean serum vitamin B12 level than patients without warts.

How much does it cost to remove a plantar wart? The pricing varies, but usually covered by health care insurance. Cash prices vary from $50 with topical medication, $100 with cryotherapy (liquid nitrogen), to $500 if surgically removed.

Just because warts aren't medically dangerous, it doesn't mean they don't affect your podiatric health. If you get foot warts, it means you have HPV in your system, and one thing viruses do very well is spread, even ones that aren't particularly contagious.

Can you have genital warts without having HPV? No, while not all strains of HPV cause genital warts, all genital warts are caused by some strain of HPV. However, some people mistake moles, skin tags, or other sores for warts. It's best to have a healthcare provider look at them to know for sure.

No. Warts can appear after a person is infected, or you can have none at all, as the body's immune system fights the virus.

HPV-1 is always associated with deep and painful plantar warts (myrmecia), whereas HPV-2 is found to be associated with superficial, painless plantar warts (vulgaris or often mosaic type). Histologically, these two types of plantar warts are quite different.

Most plantar warts are harmless and go away without treatment, though it may take a year or two in children, and even longer in adults. If you want to get rid of warts sooner, and self-care approaches haven't helped, talk with your health care provider.

Some HPV infections can lead to cancer

Most HPV infections (9 out of 10) go away by themselves within 2 years. But sometimes, HPV infections will last longer and can cause some cancers. HPV infections can cause cancers of the: Cervix, vagin*, and vulva.

What do HPV warts look like on feet? ›

Plantar warts are warts that appear on the bottoms of the feet due to a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Plantar warts often look like circular spots of thick, callused skin. These spots will typically have tiny black dots on the surface, which are actually bits of dried blood.

You can get HPV by having vagin*l, anal, or oral sex with someone who has the virus. It is most commonly spread during vagin*l or anal sex. It also spreads through close skin-to-skin touching during sex. A person with HPV can pass the infection to someone even when they have no signs or symptoms.

HPV can clear up naturally – as there is no cure for the underlying HPV infection, the only way to get rid of HPV is to wait for the immune system to clear the virus naturally.

Most people with HPV — no matter what their gender is — don't have any symptoms. Sometimes HPV can cause warts on your penis or vulva and around your anus. Genital warts can cause irritation and discomfort, and you can pass the HPV that caused them to other people.

In our study, patients with warts had significantly lower mean serum vitamin B12 level than patients without warts.

You're contagious for as long as you have the virus — regardless of whether or not you have symptoms. For example, even if your genital warts have disappeared, you can still spread the HPV that caused them if the virus is still in your body. Once your immune system destroys the virus, you're no longer contagious.

Non-STD warts are warts that are not caused by sexual contact with an infected person. They are typically caused by a strain of HPV that is not related to STIs. Non-STD warts can occur anywhere on the body and are usually harmless.

Genital warts are usually a sexually transmitted disease (STD). They're caused by HPV (human papillomavirus). This virus also can cause some types of cancer. But the types of HPV that cause genital warts do not usually cause cancer.

A: No, common warts are not the same as genital warts. Though both types of wart are caused by the HPV group of viruses, the strains that cause each type are different and so are the methods of transmission. Unlike common warts, genital warts are spread through sexual contact, they are an STI/STD.

Common warts - HPV types 2 and 4 (most common), followed by types 1, 3, 27, 29, and 57. Deep palmoplantar warts (myrmecia) - HPV type 1 (most common), followed by types 2, 3, 4, 27, 29, and 57. Flat warts - HPV types 3, 10, and 28. Butcher's warts - HPV type 7 (although some data suggest the association may be weak)