Causes of plantar warts
All types of warts, including plantar warts, are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). You can get it through close contact with infected people or during daily life. The virus quickly dies from sunlight, but feels good in high humidity. Therefore, most often HPV infection occurs in baths, saunas, swimming pools. The penetration of the virus into the body is facilitated by microtrauma and cracks in the skin, as well as by reduced immunity.
With the body's strong defenses, the virus can remain dormant for an indefinitely long time after infection. But if the immunity is reduced, it begins to actively multiply, provoking the appearance of warts of different localization on the skin. For their occurrence, it is only that HPV subtypes 1, 2, 4, 27 and 57 are often often responsible.
Several predisposing factors contribute to the emergence of such formations:
- shoes
- that are too tight or oversized;
- frequent wearing of high heels;
- various deformities of the legs (including flat feet);
- various diseases of the ankle joints (arthritis, osteoarthritis, etc. ).
Warts on the feet are more common in people with excessive dry skin and hyperkeratosis.
Thus, the causes of plantar warts are the same in all cases (HPV infection), but the predisposing factors are different. The number and size of elements in the skin depends on them and the state of immunity.
How planar warts appear
A wart on the foot looks like a rounded growth of skin. It can be of different sizes, but rarely exceeds two centimeters in diameter. It rises above the level of the skin no more than three millimeters, but at the same time it goes deep inside with its root. The color may not change from the surrounding skin, or it may be darker or lighter. Often such formations have a yellow or gray tinge. Visually, when looking inside the elements, black dots or lines can be seen (they are also clearly visible in the picture). This is how capillaries look, in which blood clots are formed, due to the compression of the horny vessels by the mass.
Initially, the planar wart has a smooth surface. But over time, it gets tough, tough, thick. Horny masses that give these warts their yellow color.
An important symptom of plantar warts is pain when compressed. Stepdo step causes severe acute pain to the patient.
These warts are very similar to planar calluses. The resemblance to a corner is particularly pronounced due to the strong pain of both formations. The main difference is that there is no skin pattern on the surface of the warts, while in calluses it remains.
Diagnosis of Plantar Warts
A competent dermatologist will diagnose this disease based on only a clinical picture. In some cases, an additional dermatoscope is required. The absence of a skin pattern in the formation and presence of capillaries with blood clots in its structure confirms this diagnosis.
Treatment of Plantar Warts
Plantar warts are more difficult to get rid of from similar formations in other areas due to their deeper penetration into the dermis. In the case of small and newly formed elements, external necrotizing preparations may be used. Large and deep warts are surgically removed. At the same time, old formations must first be softened with keratolytic agents.
External wart removal preparations
In some cases, self-destruction of such formations is possible. But because planar wart hurts so badly, patients do not want to wait and try to escape as soon as possible.
remedydo plantar wart remedy with necrotizing effect is prescribed to remove small and superficial elements.
These products contain acids that clot skin proteins, causing necrosis. Medications containing coolants have a similar effect. But they cause necrotic effects through tissue freezing, not through chemical damage.
All of these drugs are applied in terms of formation. It is necessary to strictly monitor that the substance does not fall into the surrounding tissues, as this will cause them to burn. After treatment, a wound will remain at the site of the previous wart, which will be covered with a crust. After healing, she will fall on her own. You can perform such treatment at home, but only as instructed by a doctor.
This way it is possible to remove a planar wart only with a small size and with shallow penetration into the skin. For large elements, you should choose other methods of removal, as incomplete destruction of the wart tissue will eventually lead to its recurrence.
Surgical methods for the removal of planar warts
There are various ways to remove a planar wart in surgery. Soft methods are preferred:
- laser removal;
- radio wave knife;
All of these procedures are performed on an outpatient basis. Patients can go home literally a few minutes after their completion, they just need to treat the wound at home regularly.
The most effective and safest methods for removing planar warts are removal with a laser or radio wave knife. When they are performed, the vessels immediately clot, which is a good prevention of bleeding and secondary infection. Complications when removing skin formations using these methods are extremely rare. The same cannot be said about cryodestruction and electrocoagulation, so these treatment methods have faded into the background and are rarely used.
If the warts are large or old (covered with a large amount of horny masses), it is recommended that you treat them with keratolytic agents for two weeks before the removal procedure. For this purpose, salicylic oil or acid and other medicines are recommended. Thus, it is possible to exfoliate a portion of horny scales, to make the formations smoother and more workable. This will make it easier and faster to remove the warts.
In rare cases, when there are many elements or there are doubts about their nature, the doctor may advise surgical removal with a scalpel. With this method of wart removal, the rehabilitation period and the high risk of scarring are much longer, so it is used only under strict indications.
Characteristics of plantar warts in children
In children over the age of five, plantar warts are quite common, as they often run barefoot, get injured and do not always follow the rules of personal hygiene. Immune dysfunction due to regular contact with sick children (in kindergartens and schools), leading to an increased likelihood of warts.
Treatment of such formations in a child is best started with external agents. You can try diluting the shallow elements using salicylic oil, followed by tuff. Immunomodulatory drugs have proven themselves well. When applied regularly to a wart, they can remove it within a few weeks.
If the elements are deep, apply necrotic agents or remove them with a laser knife or radio wave.
Prevention of Plantar Warts
it is absolutely impossible to protect yourself from the appearance of warts, but you can reduce the risk of them appearing. To do this, you need to act in two directions: eliminate predisposing factors and stimulate the body's defenses.
To achieve the first goal, you must:
- follow the rules of personal hygiene (do not walk barefoot in public places, wash your feet every day and treat cuts and injuries in a timely manner);
- choose comfortable shoes by size;
- in time to prevent foot deformities and treat joint diseases.
A healthy lifestyle, playing sports, strengthening, taking complex vitamins and immunostimulants as prescribed by a doctor will help maintain the body's defenses at a good level.
In case of excessively dry skin and hyperkeratosis, it is recommended to do regular medical pedicure and peel. In case of excessive sweating of the feet, you should use special agents for the treatment of hyperhidrosis. By following all these rules, the risk of developing warts on the soles of the feet will be minimal.
Plantar warts are not a dangerous disease, but they do cause a lot of discomfort due to pain when walking. Fortunately, there are many ways in modern medicine to get rid of it quickly and with minimal risk of new relapses. To do this, you should consult a dermatologist and strictly follow all his appointments and recommendations.