Auf Wiedersehen! Ciao! Sayonara! When you get a wart on your foot, you want it gone. You might even wish you could just say “Hasta la vista, baby!” and terminate it with a blast. Unfortunately, saying farewell to this growth is harder than it looks. It tends to hang around like an unwelcome guest you are too polite to get rid of. And even if it finally does disappear, saying goodbye could really just mean “see ya’ later, alligator!”
Warts are stubborn, benign growths caused by a virus that lives pretty much everywhere, but does especially well in moist environments. That means your weekly trips to the gym or pool put you at risk of saying “hello” to the little fellas and bringing them home for a visit. Kids are more likely to get them, as well as those whose immune systems are not working great. Adults can build immunity with the passing years and may be more able to fight off the infection.
A plantar wart appears on the sole of your foot in areas of pressure like the heel or forefoot. These spots are your point of contact with the surfaces where the virus lives, and the microorganisms take advantage of the tiniest opening—or of skin degraded by long periods in the water—to invade and multiply. The growth can cause an uncomfortable pebble-in-my-shoe feeling, but the more you walk on it, the more it is forced inside your foot, causing a callus to form over it. It can become quite painful.
So how do you say farewell to this bump on your foot? You can try non-prescription pharmacy products that peel it away using salicylic acid, or one that freezes it (cryotherapy). Be sure to follow instructions to the letter to avoid damage to healthy skin.
For a painful lesion that persists or starts to spread in spite of your home care, call Southern California Foot & Ankle Specialists office in Ladera Ranch, CA for help. Simply dial (949) 364-9255 (WALK) and we’ll get you in for an appointment to take care of it. You’ll be glad to say adios!