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If you see one or more hard spots of skin on your feet with a black dot in them, you likely have plantar warts. Christos Kyrou, DPM, Kamal Farha, DPM, and their team at Kyrou Podiatry Associates deliver fast, effective diagnosis and treatment at their offices in Wappingers Falls, Carmel, Poughkeepsie, Mahopac, and Pawling, New York. They use advanced conservative and surgical treatments to eliminate uncomfortable plantar warts. Call your nearest Kyrou Podiatry Associates office or request an appointment online today to get prompt, expert plantar wart care.
Plantar Wart Q & A
What are plantar warts?
A plantar wart is a small lesion on your foot, usually on the sole. These warts develop when a specific human papillomavirus (HPV) strain enters your body through weak or damaged skin. This most likely happens at places where people walk barefoot, like a swimming pool or locker room. Children are especially likely to develop plantar warts.
Plantar warts look like hardened skin with a black dot in the center, which is dried blood. You might overlook these warts at first because they’re often painless. But if they’re in a weight-bearing area like the ball of your foot, they can cause discomfort. Occasionally a plantar wart will bleed or ooze pus, but this is rare.
Although unsightly and uncomfortable, plantar warts aren’t a severe problem for most people. But they can increase your risk of infections and ulcers (slow-healing wounds) if you have diabetes or another health condition affecting the blood flow in your feet.
How are plantar warts diagnosed?
Diagnosing plantar warts is usually straightforward, as they have a distinct appearance. Your Kyrou Podiatry Associates provider reviews your medical records and current health. They ask about your symptoms, including when you first noticed the warts, if they’ve changed in appearance or size, and if you have trouble walking.
Next, your doctor completes an exam. They view the growths on your feet and gently press them to pinpoint sensitive areas. They might remove a small layer of skin from a growth’s top to locate the tiny clotted blood vessels.
How are plantar warts treated?
Treating plantar warts include:
Peeling medication
Salicylic acid is a prescription-strength peeling medication that causes your skin to peel away layer by layer. The medicine can also boost your immune system, reducing your risk of reinfection.
Cryotherapy
During cryotherapy, your foot doctor applies liquid nitrogen to your warts; this intensely cold fluid freezes the warts, killing them. After cryotherapy, your skin blisters and dies, then peels away to reveal healthy, wart-free skin.
Some patients will require surgery to remove their plantar warts, but conservative treatments are effective for most. Kyrou Podiatry Associates excels at both conservative and surgical plantar wart treatments.
Call Kyrou Podiatry Associates or request an appointment online today to find the right treatment for your plantar warts.