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Plantar warts affect people of all ages, but they’re most common in children, teens, and people with weakened immune systems. Though painful, warts respond well to treatment and rarely present lasting problems. At Louisville Foot and Ankle Specialists, the team of highly trained foot and ankle specialists provides complete care for warts, including cryotherapy and peeling medication. Call or book a wart appointment online today. Louisville Foot and Ankle Specialists has offices in Leitchfield, Fern Creek, Elizabethtown, Shepherdsville, Jeffersonville, and Louisville, Kentucky.
What are plantar warts?
Plantar warts are small, hard growths that form on weight-bearing areas, like the heels and balls of the feet. They’re caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).
The HPV virus enters the body through cuts or breaks in the skin and begins spreading. The warts form afterward, causing pain, sensitivity, and mobility problems.
Anyone can experience plantar warts, but they tend to affect children and teens because their immune systems are still developing.
What are the symptoms of plantar warts?
Plantar wart symptoms include:
- Small, hardened growths on the bottom of the foot
- Tough, thickened skin
- Pain and tenderness when walking and standing
- A cluster of growths on the bottom of one or both feet
- Bleeding growths
Most warts are small and resolve on their own, but if you have diabetes or another medical condition that affects circulation to your feet, seeking treatment is essential. The Louisville Foot and Ankle Specialists team can stop the infection and prevent it from worsening.
How are plantar warts diagnosed?
Your Louisville Foot and Ankle Specialists provider reviews your medical records and asks about your warts, including when you first noticed them, the symptoms you experience, and if they affect your walking and standing abilities.
Your provider examines the bottoms of your feet, assessing each wart’s size, shape, and location. They gently press on the growths to identify sensitive spots and have you walk around the exam room to see if they affect your gait (how you walk) or posture.
Warts are easy to diagnose, but your provider might collect a small skin sample and send it to a lab for testing. Some growths look like warts, so this test helps rule out other potential problems, like tumors.
How are plantar warts treated?
The Louisville Foot and Ankle Specialists team uses a conservative, minimally invasive approach to treat warts. They could suggest:
- Freezing the warts (cryotherapy)
- Removing the warts with prescription peeling medication (salicylic acid)
- Minor surgery to remove the warts
- Laser treatment to heat up and destroy the virus that causes the warts
If you haven’t yet received the HPV vaccine, your provider might recommend getting it. The HPV vaccine isn’t specifically formulated to treat the strain of HPV that causes plantar warts but may reduce your risk of future infections.
Call the nearest Louisville Foot and Ankle Specialists office today to schedule wart treatment for yourself or your child, or book an appointment online.