Plantar Warts
February 5, 2013
9 Comments
In a grid-down scenario, some medical issues involve conditions that aren’t life-threatening by themselves but can affect work efficiency, thus decreasing your chances of survival in the long run. One of these is the plantar wart.
Warts are rough, round skin lesions found most commonly on the hands or soles of the feet; the word “plantar” simply refers to the sole of the foot. They are caused, not by toads, but by the human papillomavirus. This virus comes in various subtypes that affect different areas. Some subtypes are responsible for genital warts and even cervical cancer.
Warts found on the soles of the feet are most likely to cause symptoms due to the weight placed on them as you stand and walk. The usual sensation is that of a pebble in your shoe. Normally brownish-gray or yellow in color, the visible part of a plantar wart is often just the top of a larger wart hiding under the skin.
A viral wart can be distinguished from corns or other foot lesions in that they interrupt the lines on the sole of your feet (yes, you have a unique footprint just like you have fingerprints). Also, they have little black dots that represent tiny blood vessels affected by the virus. Squeezing a plantar wart usually elicits pain.
Plantar warts are contagious; they can be caught by contact with infected skin scales on shower or locker room floors. The virus enters through small openings in the surface of the skin. Moistness allows the virus more time to enter. The tendency to develop warts seems to differ from person to person, however, even with similar exposure to the virus. Those who spend a lot of time barefoot develop calluses that seem to protect them from warts (good for you, Cody Lundin).
Therefore, common-sense preventative measures include:
- Not sharing socks, shoes, towels, or other items with others.
- Not re-using socks without washing them in hot, soapy water first.
- Wear sandals (your own) in locker rooms, gyms, and around swimming pools and shower rooms.
- Disinfect your bathroom floors on a regular basis.
- Don’t touch warts on others, and wash your hands after touching your own.
Once it has been determined that you have plantar warts, there are various ways to deal with them. It’s important to treat as early as possible; later on, the wart will get bigger, tougher, and harder to eliminate. Having said that, many plantar warts will go away by themselves over a period of time (sometimes, years). You don’t have to treat it unless you are experiencing discomfort, identify a spreading pattern, or believe the wart is unsightly.
Wart Spread Pattern
You might want to apply a special foot pad (commonly available at any pharmacy) over the wart that cushions the foot as you walk. This would be useful to decrease discomfort while you are treating the wart.
One treatment technique is to obtain a cheap emery board specifically for the purpose of filing down the wart. Do this when your foot is wet and the wart has softened a little. NEVER use this emery board on your nails: It is possible to develop warts under your fingernails that may be uncomfortable and difficult to get rid of.
Then, use one of various medications, like Salicylic Acid, that will wear down the plantar wart with daily use. Don’t use these treatments on genital warts, as they will burn. Cover the wart afterwards with a small round band-aid to prevent spread of the virus. Another technique recommended by some involves occluding the wart by continually covering it with duct tape.
Physicians can cauterize warts by freezing (“cryocautery”) or burning (“electrocautery”). In the worst cases, surgical removal is performed. You should be aware that scarring can occur in some cases, so don’t try to do this yourself if modern medical care is available to you.
Excised Plantar Wart
If you have warts now, you may get new ones in the future. To be ready for this possibility, a prepared individual will add some of the above items to their medical supplies.
Dr. Bones
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Keep the wart covered with duct tape. This really does work(may take a while) and Lord knows, all preppers have TONS of duct tape.
I used to get these painful things while in the Navy living in the barracks. Most of them can be removed by filing or shaving off the callus over the wort then digging (really) out the plantar with a needle or a small knife. Keep it cleaned and bandaged after that for the area to heal.
Now that’s giving the wart something to think about. You have to be thorough, however, as even a small bit of leftover wart can grow…
Dr. Bones
Although I have done what Phantom has, ouch, you have to make sure you get it all because even a small part left is considered a seed and WILL grow more. I like guest’s suggestion….not so eager to try it out, (Thank God!) but will definitely file the info. away to maybe be used someday!
I had these a few years ago. My foot doctor treated once with the acid mentioned and than told me to buy over the counter tagamet….the stuff for your stomach. It worked
Interesting, I’ll have to check it out…
Dr. Bones
I’m using Zymaderm for warts by Naturopathix on my 7-year old’s plantar wart, because their product for molluscum worked so well on him. They’re the only FDA-approved homeopathic treatment for these viruses, they have no side effects, and there is no pain or self-mutilation involved. One doctor prescribed Aldara fro my son, and said, “So, what do you want to know about this drug?” Thinking what could there to be to know about a topical cream, I didn’t ask any questions. After the drug burned the skin of my little one and I read the controversies surrounding it, not to mention it being contraindicated for kids that young, I wanted to strangle the doc. We’ve been putting the Zymaderm on 2x/day for a month now (they recommend 5-6x/day, but who can do that?), and today it burst open while my son was running around and there was quite a bit of blood. A whitish yucky core came out, and it left a deep hole. While I probably should have poured more Zymaderm down the hole, I opted instead for some Neosporin and a bandaid. We’ll put more Zymaderm on tonight after bath and before bedtime. I’m hoping the worst is now over. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Thanks for your input!
Dr. Bones
25,000 iu Vitamin A taken daily. All warts will be gone within a few weeks. Will get softer and less painful in a matter of a week or so until they completely disappear. Myself and others had 100% success rate. After warts are gone, lower the dose on Vit A.