Foot Wart
Protecting Yourself From Foot Wart Infections
A foot wart is one of the last things you would want to have. Even when nobody can see them, warts on the foot can be a great inconvenience. What exactly would a wart on the foot feel like and how do you prevent one from growing on your foot?
Foot Wart
Description of the Foot Wart
A foot wart is also known as a plantar wart. This kind of wart is often found on the sole of the foot. It is because of its location that it can potentially cause a lot of pain and discomfort. The mere act of taking a step can already be excruciating for some.
It is also because of its location that a foot wart may be mistaken for corn. Warts on the foot however most often come with clearly defined boundaries. They are slightly raised and come with distinct black spots at the center representing blood vessels that would otherwise be absent in corns. There may also be more than one plantar wart. There may be several warts around the sole of the foot or they may cluster closely together in which case, the group would be called mosaic warts.
Cause
A foot wart shares the same causal origins as all other warts. They are caused by certain types or strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV). A small cut or opening near the sole of your foot could become the point of entry of this virus. Once it has found a way in, it could lie there for several weeks without showing any signs and symptoms of wart growth.
People usually get HPV that causes plantar warts from other people who have them. The most obvious way for the virus to transfer to your foot is through direct contact with a wart. Direct contact however is not the only way for the virus to spread. If you do not remember rubbing your foot on someone else’s foot wart, you may have gotten yours while walking barefoot. The virus can survive out of its host in moist environments. This means that locker rooms, swimming pools and public showers are possible places where you could get the wart virus.
Prevention
Preventing a plantar wart growth should therefore be quite easy for you. The best way not to get foot warts is to simply not walk barefoot in public places. If you have to be in any wet and public place, make sure that you wear rubber slippers or shoes. Aside from not walking around barefoot, you also have to refrain from using someone else’s socks and shoes. Your own footwear should be clean and dry when you wear them.
Treatment
If you already have a foot wart, you have no choice but to have it treated. Although you have the option to leave it alone until it disappears by itself, the pain and discomfort might be too much for you to bear. If this is so, the best solution would be to go to a doctor and ask for a treatment option that is best for you. He may recommend cream medication. If you have a more severe case, you may have to undergo cryotherapy or electric cauterization.
