Causes of Planter Wart
Plantar warts show up due to infection with HPV. This infection happens on the skin’s outer layer. The formation occurs when the virus gets inside the body via small cuts, breaks or even week spots on the feet’s bottom.
While HPV is a fairly common virus with about a hundred types, only few cause the warts over the feet. Other, more common places to infect are the skin areas apart from the feet and the mucous membrane.
Each person's immune system responds differently to HPV. Not everyone who comes in contact with it How one’s immune system responds to HPV varies from person to person; not all those who touch it or are in contact with it go on to grow warts. In fact, even family members react to HPV in different ways.
In any case, HPV types that lead to the plantar wart growth are not that contagious and, hence, transmission from one individual to the other is not easy. However, these strains grow optimally in damp and warm conditions. So, one could contract the virus when they walk around swimming pools without any proper shoe wear on. Furthermore, if the virus ends up going to other areas from the initial infected site, even more warts could materialize.
Treatment
Most plantar warts are harmless and disappear on their own, though it may take a year or two. If your warts are painful or spreading, you may want to try over-the-counter (nonprescription) medications or home remedies to treat them. You may need several treatments before warts disappear, and they may reappear later. If self-care methods aren't working, consult your doctor about the following treatments:
- A potent peeling agent (salicylic acid): Prescription-strength salicylic acid wart medications work by removing layers of a wart one at a time. They may also boost your immune system's ability to combat the wart.
- Minor surgery: With an electric needle, your doctor removes or destroys the wart (electrodesiccation and curettage). Because this procedure can be painful, your doctor will first numb your skin. Because surgery carries the risk of scarring, it is rarely used to treat plantar warts unless all other treatments have failed.
- Treatment with a laser: The pulsed-dye laser treatment cauterizes (burns closed) tiny blood vessels. When the infected tissue dies, the wart falls off. This method necessitates three to four weeks of follow-up treatments. There is little evidence that this method is effective, and it can cause pain and possibly scarring.