Plantar Warts

What Are Plantar Warts?

Plantar warts are skin growths that appear on the soles of your feet. They are caused by a viral infection that is triggered by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).

Overall, there are more than 100 different strains of this virus. However, only a handful result in warts that develop on your feet.

Also known as verruca warts, they can be found on any part of your feet, and while they are not related to pressure, they often appear on your heels. 

Generally, plantar warts are not viewed as a serious health risk, but they are highly contagious and can cause localised discomfort and foot and heel pain.

If you are experiencing issues in relation to them, we recommend engaging the services of one of our expert podiatrists on the Gold Coast to treat the condition.

How Do You Get Plantar Warts?

HPV is a slow-growing virus and it can be transmitted either through indirect or direct contact.

Essentially, this means you have just as much chance of contracting it by sharing communal floor spaces or even socks or shoes with someone who is infected with the virus as you have through direct skin-to-skin contact.

The good news is that not everyone who is exposed to the virus will develop warts. That is because each person has an immune system that offers different levels of protection against the viral strains.

The virus thrives in moist and warm, which is why it is typically picked up in communal wet areas like swimming pools and public showers and pools. Most often, it enters your body through a split or cracks in your heels or other parts of your skin.

Once it has infiltrated the bottom of your feet, it will cause your skin’s top layer to rapidly develop into an elevated lesion.

Who is Most at Risk of Getting Plantar Warts?

Sadly, everyone can be vulnerable to developing plantar warts. That said, there are several factors that can put you more at risk than others of getting a verruca.

They include:

• If your feet have cuts, splits, cracks or skin infections and are thus more susceptible to being attacked by the virus, should you come into contact with it.

• Those with a weak immune system.

• Children and teenagers who frequent public spaces, such as school gym lockers and swimming pools.

• Engaging in direct contact with a person who already has plantar warts.

• Walking barefoot in wet common areas where the virus might thrive.

Symptoms

Being caused by a viral infection, plantar warts tend to appear in various sizes and shapes.

They often manifest as a lesion with small dark spots, thanks to the tiny blood vessels that develop at the epicentre of the wart.

It is not uncommon to experience discomfort or pain from a plantar wart, especially if it is located within a weight-bearing part of your foot, because of the pressure your body weight exerts on the wart. 

Other typical symptoms associated with plantar warts include:

• A fleshy lesion with a sturdy border that disrupts the normal pattern and skin lines of your foot.

• Hard overlying skin with a yellow aesthetic.

• Pain when you squeeze the perimeter of the lesion or when walking on it.

• Small, coarse, and slightly grainy lesion growth on the sole of the foot, typically the toes, heel or ball of it.

• Multiple lesions around the same area (this is known as mosaic wart).

Diagnosis

Should you feel any or all of the symptoms above you might be able to perform a self-diagnose of plantar warts through a ‘squeeze test’. Doing this can help you to identify if you have a wart or a corn.

The test simply involves squeezing the area simultaneously from either side. If you feel an intense pain, you most likely have a wart.

If you want to get a more accurate diagnosis from a trained professional, we recommend you book an appointment with one of our expert podiatrists. The treatment for a wart is markedly different from that of a corn, so you’ll want to make sure the most appropriate course of action is being taken.

Usually, a podiatrist can tell if a skin growth is a wart through a quick visual inspection. However, if there is any doubt, they might take and analyse a sample of it for confirmation.

Treatments

Although they might be inconvenient and cause you some discomfort, warts will sometimes disappear without you having to do anything because your body’s immune system eventually deals with them. 

However, sometimes, plantar warts require treatment or even removal, especially if they are causing extreme levels of pain on the sole of your foot or your heel.

If you decide to seek treatment from Gold Coast Foot Centres, our podiatrists can help you in various ways, including:

• The sharp and precise debridement of the hard outer layer of your wart tissue.

• Freezing the wart through cryotherapy.

• Using mild acids to burn the wart tissue away.

• Conducting Swift Therapy, which is medical microwave technology that can be very effective in eliminating warts.

• Minor surgery performed under local anaesthetic to remove the entire plantar wart.

Unfortunately, there is no hard and fast rule as to how long plantar warts might take to fully resolve themselves. Depending on the course of action or treatment that is recommended for you, it could take anywhere from a couple of treatment sessions to a few months to completely disappear.

What can happen if I ignore a plantar wart?

In most cases, plantar warts will eventually clear up and go away without the need for medical treatment.

However, if the wart is a severe one, it could result in the following:

• Spreading of the virus to other body parts and the development of more warts.

• Prolonged discomfort or pain that will require more serious treatment at a later time.

• Change in posture or your ability to run, walk or stand.

• You might transmit the virus to others who are in close proximity to you, such as loved ones and work colleagues.

Prevention

While Plantar Warts can be easily treated, it's best to take preventative measures to avoid getting them in the first place.

Here are some tips you can employ to reduce your risk of developing them:

• Avoid direct contact with anyone who has an existing wart

• Don’t walk around barefoot in communal areas

• Always keep feet dry and clean

• Make sure you wear clean socks

These simple strategies will go a long way towards ensuring your feet are not affected by the HPV virus that causes plantar warts.

Need Treatment on Your Plantar Warts?

If you have plantar warts that won’t go away, please make an online booking with our expert podiatrists today.

Alternatively, contact your nearest Gold Coast Foot Centres practice.

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