Wart(s) services offered in Holladay and West Jordan, UT
Plantar warts or verrucas are hard spots that affect the bottom of your feet. While they’re not often painful, treating warts ensures they never cause any problems. Christiaan Goebel, DPM, and Weston Packard, DPM, at Salt Lake City Foot and Ankle Clinic in Utah, provide expert treatment of plantar warts at their offices in Holladay and West Jordan. They use advanced techniques like cryotherapy to destroy warts. To find out more about painlessly ridding your feet of warts, call Salt Lake City Foot and Ankle Clinic today or book an appointment online. We serve all of Salt Lake City and the surrounding communities.
Warts Q&A
What are warts?
Warts are small bumps or nodules that grow on your skin. On your feet, the most common kind is plantar warts.
Plantar warts or verrucas are hard spots that mainly develop on the soles of your feet and toes. The virus that causes plantar warts is a type of human papillomavirus (HPV), a common infection that also causes warts elsewhere on the body.
Warts start growing when the HPV virus gets into the skin on your feet. It can find its way into your body through a small cut or thin skin. Plantar warts can come up individually or appear in clusters known as mosaic warts.
How would I get plantar warts?
The plantar wart virus passes from an infected person to someone they come in contact with. Because the virus lives on your feet, walking barefoot in places like changing rooms and swimming pools is one of the main ways for infection to spread.
You could also get plantar warts if you wear someone’s shoes or socks when they have the infection.
What symptoms do plantar warts cause?
When they first develop, plantar warts are often painless — you may not even know you have them if you don’t check your feet. The warts are small callus-like lesions that usually have a black dot in their center.
Plantar warts become bothersome if they come up in a sensitive area or under a weight-bearing surface like the ball or heel of your foot. Warts in these areas can be painful. The pain might make you walk differently in an effort to relieve the pressure.
This change in your walk puts strain on other structures in your feet and ankles. You could develop additional problems because of your altered gait.
How are plantar warts treated?
There are plenty of over-the-counter treatments for plantar warts that you can try. These treatments might work if your plantar warts aren’t deep or callused. If they don’t work or you have uncomfortable or painful warts, the Salt Lake City Foot and Ankle Clinic team offers a range of effective treatments. These include:
- Prescription-strength salicylic acid
- Compound wart preparations
- Prescription medications
- Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy uses liquid nitrous oxide to freeze plantar warts.
You’re not likely to need surgery for plantar warts, but surgical removal might be necessary if nothing else is working. Your podiatrist can perform plantar wart removal surgery in their office under a local anesthetic.
To find the right treatment for your troublesome plantar warts, call Salt Lake City Foot and Ankle Clinic today or book an appointment online.