My Plantar Warts Are Painful: Can You Help?

Though there are hundreds of variations of the human papillomavirus (HPV), only a few of them cause plantar warts, growths that appear on the soles of your feet. Unlike some other HPV infections, plantar warts aren’t a sign of serious infection, and most go away over time. 

However, plantar warts have a knack for forming in the most pressure-prone spots on your feet. The area around the wart may be tender or even painful when you put weight on your foot. These warts can cluster, compounding the problem, and grow inward, causing calluses form. This “harmless” viral side effect can create serious problems. 

When it’s time to get past the pain of plantar warts, plan a visit to Hudson Valley Foot Associates. Our team of experienced podiatrists specializes in a wide range of foot wart treatments. Make us your first contact when home remedies aren’t enough. 

Recognizing a plantar wart

The HPV strains that cause plantar warts typically enter your body through an opening like a crack or other break in the skin, typically in moist and warm locations like public swimming pools, locker rooms, and showers. These strains aren’t easily transmitted and require direct contact. 

Plantar warts can grow anywhere on the foot but usually appear on the sole. The first symptom is often tenderness or pain occurring on the ball of the foot, the base of the toes, or on the heel. An outward-growing wart shows as a rough bump, while you may notice the thick skin of a callus with ingrown warts.

Wart seeds are black spots in the area of tenderness, originating from clotted blood vessels. Sometimes, several growths form in the same area, called mosaic warts. Plantar warts are usually flesh-colored or lighter than your skin tone. 

Treating a plantar wart

Plantar warts generally go away over time, without treatment. In children, this may take a year or two, while warts in adults tend to take longer. If your plantar warts cause significant pain or alter your gait, waiting for these to pass may be unacceptable. 

Using over-the-counter salicylic acid products for about 12 weeks may remove your warts. Otherwise, your best bet is treatment with our podiatrists. We offer a range of treatments, some of which can be combined for faster results. These include: 

• Prescription-strength salicylic acid products
• Cryotherapy: freezing the wart with liquid nitrogen
• Laser therapy to cauterize blood vessels supplying the wart, causing it to fall off
• Surgical removal, when other treatments fail

Ingrown warts and calluses may be difficult to distinguish from each other. When you have painful foot calluses, visit one of our offices to rule out plantar warts as a cause. 

Call the office nearest to you or click here to book online at the appropriate location. Most therapies for plantar warts require multiple treatments, so the best time to start is as soon as possible. Make an appointment today.