Even if you don’t see plantar warts on the bottom of your feet, it won’t be long before they make their presence known with pain every time you take a step. Without treatment from Navrit Randhawa, DPM, and his colleagues at Carteret Foot & Ankle Center, the pain can worsen, stopping you from the activities you enjoy. To schedule an appointment, call the office in Carteret, New Jersey, or book one online today.
Warts grow when the human papillomavirus (HPV) gets through a small cut or opening in your skin. Your immune system often successfully clears the virus out of your body, but sometimes the virus takes hold, and then a wart develops. You can develop different types of warts on numerous body areas.
Plantar warts usually grow on the heels or balls of your feet. However, they can appear anywhere on your foot, including your toes.
Plantar warts look like small bumps when they first appear. They grow in clusters and get large, developing a bumpy texture like a cauliflower.
The wart may also grow inward. If that happens, you may notice hard, thickened skin over the area. Plantar warts often have visible dark spots or lines.
Plantar warts can get very painful because they’re on the heel or ball of your foot. As a result, every time you walk, jump, run, or stand, your weight bears down on the wart, pushing it into the ground and nerves in your foot.
Plantar warts may improve on their own, but that can take years. Most people don’t want to wait and see if the wart goes away, especially when they’re in pain every time they take a step. Additionally, plantar warts are very contagious and can spread to other parts of your body and other people through direct contact.
Between the pain and not wanting to spread the virus, many people seek treatment as soon as possible.
Your provider eliminates the HPV virus while relieving your pain. Your treatment could include one or more of the following:
Your provider also recommends lifestyle changes to help you prevent future HPV infections. For example, they may suggest never walking barefoot in public places and washing, drying, and inspecting your feet every day.
If you need relief from the pain of plantar warts, call Carteret Foot & Ankle Center or request an appointment online today.