If you’ve recently found an unusual-looking growth on the bottom of your foot, chances are it’s a plantar wart. Plantar warts are grainy and typically small in size. These growths appear on the balls and heels of your feet. Your feet may feel uncomfortable when you walk or stand. You may also notice calluses around the plantar warts, which form to prevent the warts from spreading to other areas of your feet. Plantar warts are very common and, luckily, easy to treat!

Do You Have a Wart?

How can you tell if you have a wart? You’re better off getting your growth professionally diagnosed by a podiatrist. But in the meantime, here are some simple signs that you may have a plantar wart:

A small, grainy growth underneath your foot
A cluster of warts on the sole of your foot
Calluses around the wart
Wart seeds, or clotted blood vessels that appear as tiny black spots on the surface of the growth.
Pain or discomfort when walking or standing.

Treating Your Warts

Some cases of plantar warts may go away on their own. But warts are known to be tricky to treat, usually needing the help of a podiatrist to fully disappear. If your warts are especially painful, aren’t going away, or change in size, shape, or color, make sure you call your foot doctor. During your appointment, your podiatrist will look at the wart, possibly removing a small portion for lab testing. After that, you’ll discuss treatments. Here are some of the most common courses of action:

Cryotherapy, or pouring liquid nitrogen over the wart to freeze it.
Burning the wart with topical acids, like salicylic acid
Laser treatment
Minor surgery to remove the growth.

Preventing a Wart

Warts are common and unfortunately spread fairly easily. But there are some steps you can take to lower your risk of catching or spreading HPV:

Wash your feet regularly.
After touching a plantar wart, make sure to wash your hands immediately so you don’t get more growths
Wear shoes in public pools, locker rooms, and public showers
Don’t touch someone else’s warts.
Avoid picking at your warts.
Make sure that your nail salon is clean, and tools are disinfected before use.
Keep your feet dry to prevent any growths from spreading, since plantar warts thrive in moist environments

At Advanced Foot Care of NJ, LLC, Dr. Anant Joshi and his staff treat a range of conditions and are committed to providing results. To schedule an appointment, contact his office in Woodland Park, NJ, at 973-256-0002.