Plantar wart is a skin infection caused by a virus called human papilloma virus (HPV). The warts appear on the sole of the foot. The pressure on the sole of the foot due to standing and walking causes the wart to grow beneath the skin. It may be painful in some cases. The warts may spread to the other areas of the sole and form a cluster of warts. The HPV can also spread from one person to other through cut skin surfaces especially at shared showers, swimming pool areas and even through sharing shoes.
Plantar warts disappear on their own in course of time. However doctors recomment it to be removed as it would become painful and affect the person's posture and gait. There are many treatment options available to remove plantar warts. Home treatments can be done through over-the-counter medications which contains mild acid preparation. The acid will destroy and remove the wart tissue gradually.
Some health professionals recommend the application of small amounts of banana or banana skin pulp to the wart which may kill the wart in 1-12 weeks.
A mild acid like salicylic acid is topically applied to the wart in some cases by doctors. However the virus cells and wart tissue cannot be destroyed in just one application. The patient has to make several visits to the doctor's office and undergo multiple applications of acid on the warts untily finally all the virus cells and the skin growth are destroyed.
Burning the virus and the wart tissue is also done through the application of electricity and is called electrosurgery.
Cryotherapy is another option where the wart cells are frozen using sodium nitride. This process will destroy the HPV. This process in some cases may not completely destroy the virus and may cause relapse.
Surgical removal of the wart is also done in some cases by the doctor by giving a local anestesia. This procedure is usually combined with the acid treatment in order to remove the warts completely and prevent relapse. The surgical removal of the wart is called debridement. This usually leaves a permanent scar.
The most effective way to remove the warts and with little sacrring is through Laser treatment. This is also done under local anestesia.
If you would want to prevent warts keep your feet dry and clean always. Wear clean dry socks and shoes. Avoid direct contact with affected soles of persons who have warts. Wear slippers while using common bath areas and even locker rooms. Avoid walking bear foot outdoors.
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