Are you suffering from a fleshy, hard, and grainy growth on the skin of your feet? You might have warts. The warts on the feet are usually plantar warts caused by HPV (Human papillomavirus).

As a virus induces this infection, it is tricky to get rid of it. 

1. Kinds of Warts 

Different kinds of warts are differentiated according to the specific area in which they form. Some of them are:

1. 1. Flat warts: These warts commonly form on the face, hands, and lower parts of the legs in clusters. 
   2. Common warts: They can form anywhere on the body, but their expected sites are knees, hands, and fingers. They look like stiff and lifted lumps.
   3. Plantar and palmar warts: The sole of the feet is the most common site for these warts to get affected. They appear like tiny, hard boils. 
   4. Genital warts: Genital warts are transmitted sexually. They cause whitish bumpy structures on the genital areas of men and women. They appear in a grainy size, which looks like a cauliflower. 
   5. Mosaic warts: The sites affected by Mosaic warts are the soles of the hands and feet. They form in compact clusters.
   6. Filiform warts: A common site of filiform warts is the face, but can arise anywhere on the body. They are narrow, thready flesh-colored flaps.

2. What Causes Warts on Feet?

Warts on feet are often Plantar warts. They are also called Verrucas. A virus named after HPV is responsible for the warts on feet. They appear like tiny, hard bumps, which often carry small blackish-brown dots in the center of the lumps. Sometimes, they also appear in compact clusters. The virus invades the skin of feet through tiny scratches, breaks, or spots, which are fragile and vulnerable. 

Human papillomavirus is contagious and commonly affects children, but adults also can get affected by it. It is driven by skin-to-skin contact. Hot and Humid places provide favourable conditions for these viruses to perform. You can easily catch warts from water parks and swimming pools as they invade injured and moist areas. 

Although the warts of feet are benign and are not cancerous, having this contagious infection might be embarrassing for children as well as an adult.

3. Symptoms of Feet Warts

Symptoms of warts depend on their variety, but they comprise:

1. A small growth on the skin which is raised appears on the outer layer of the skin of the feet.
2. It looks like a solitary, rough surface.
3. They form in clusters. Sometimes, they appear in tight clusters.
4. 1-7 millimeters is the average size of the warts.
5. A small blackish-brown dot can be seen in the middle of this bump.
6. The skin where the warts form becomes thick and stiff
7. Little pain while walking also causes a slight change in posture sometimes.

4. Treatment for Feet Warts

Plantar warts usually go away in weeks or months depending on the condition of a person, or they might take some years to disappear. However, multiple treatments are available for the curability of this infection. 

4.1. Medical Treatment

1. Salicylic acid: It is a strong peeling medicine that is used by medical health care to remove a layer of the wart at a time.
2. Cryotherapy: It is a freezing medicine that is done clinically by applying liquid nitrogen on the infected area with the help of a cotton swab or spray.
3. Surgery: This includes minor surgery that involves cutting away warts. To eradicate foot warts, this surgery can be processed with the help of an electric needle, too.
4. Laser therapy: With the use of this treatment, you can get rid of infected tissue as the foot warts fall off.
5. Vaccine: HPV vaccines are also available, and many instances have proven them to be successful.
6. Cantharidin: It is a blistering medicine that forms blisters inside the wart and makes the wart dead.

4.2. Home Remedies

Out of any other home remedy, self-care is the most important to get rid of foot warts. A diet that builds the immune system to fight against the virus is recommended. However, certain home remedies like tea tree oil and apple cider vinegar help in this condition. Garlic extract can also be useful in effectively removing warts as it contains antibacterial and antiviral properties. Over-the-counter products like duct tape can be useful for removing warts from your feet. https://youtu.be/ZSf5UYDOCmw?si=h4JjuTwzINPU18fJ

5. Precaution for Feet Warts

As feet warts are contagious, you must take some precautions like:

1. Avoid pricking warts, as pricking leads to spreading the virus to other healthy parts of the body.
2. Don’t touch the warts directly.
3. Avoid sharing personal stuff like towels, pumice stones, soap, and such. Also, avoid using the same item on healthy skin that you use on infected areas.
4. Maintain the hygiene of your feet.
5. Avoid scraping your warts.
6. While swimming, always cover your warts with the help of duct tape and bandage.
7. Always wear rinsed and clean shocks.
8. Keep your feet protected and take proper care if there is a cut or break in your feet, as they are more prone to the virus.

6. It is Curable 

Different kinds of warts are categorized according to the respective area in which they appear. Feet wart is one of them. It is an infection caused by a virus named HPV. It leads to bumpy raised lesions and a black spot in the center of warts. People with weak immune systems or those with a medical condition like Dermatitis are more prone to it. As HPV thrives in warm and moist areas, people who walk barefoot are inclined to it. However, it is curable, and many treatments are available to remove foot warts.

Last Updated on December 19, 2023 by soubhik92@gmail.com