Plantar warts can bring many unpleasant and sometimes very painful sensations to the owner.There are many ways to treat plantar warts: surgical removal, medications, physical therapy.Traditional medicine has shown good efficacy in solving this problem;its secrets are quite simple and the ingredients are quite accessible to everyone.What a plantar wart looks like, the causes of its appearance and methods of treatment will be discussed in the article.
Causes of plantar warts
Spikes or plantar warts are a serious skin defect in the form of flat, scaly formations that can appear singly or in groups anywhere on the body, but most often occur on the feet and palms.Plantar warts are the biggest concern;they can completely deprive a person of the ability to move.
As a rule, young people aged 20-30 years are affected by this trouble, although the formation of spines has been noted in both elderly people and children.The main cause of this pathology is the human papillomavirus, which spreads rapidly among people and is quite aggressive.
Plantar warts do not have an incubation period.In patients with a weakened immune system, the disease can appear within a few days after contact with the carrier of the infection;with a healthy immune system, there is almost no chance of warts appearing.
Factors, criteria and causes of plantar warts:
- Increased dryness of the skin of the feet, a decrease in the pH level that protects the epidermis;
- weak immunity;
- vegetative-vascular diseases in which cyanosis of the extremities is noted;
- plantar skin lesions;
- Endocrinological diseases;
- Excessive sweating of the feet;
- Very tight and uncomfortable shoes made of low-quality materials;
- Hormonal disorders.
These conditions not only contribute to the formation of warts and their further spread, but also can significantly complicate therapy, which in each specific case should be aimed at eliminating the tumor itself and eliminating the original cause.
Symptoms of plantar warts
A plantar wart is a rather unpleasant neoplasm with a root that penetrates deep into the tissue and at the same time puts pressure on the nerve cells.As a result, there are painful sensations that intensify during walking and especially when moving in shoes.
The main symptoms of plantar warts:
- Callus-like thickenings on the skin;
- Small growths appear on the bottom of the foot;
- pain when touching the infected area and when walking;
- A change in skin color occurs in a certain area of the floor.
The initial stage is characterized by the appearance of fleshy and smooth growths under the feet;the color of the skin around the lesion becomes unnaturally dark or, conversely, very light.At first, there is no pain, then it occurs when pressing on the infected area, and later it is intensified by any touching and walking.
In about a month, another girl will usually appear near the first wart, but sometimes it will appear in a group of several pieces at the same time.These neoplasms cause a lot of discomfort and disrupt the normal rhythm of life;in some cases, a person is completely deprived of the ability to move independently, which leads to a loss of performance.
How to treat a plantar wart with folk remedies?
Traditional medical methods have proven to be excellent in solving this problem.Tools and components for their implementation can often be found in every kitchen and in any garden.The most effective folk methods for the treatment of plantar warts:
- Grind a medium onion into a paste and mix with vinegar.To prevent burns, cover the healthy skin around the wart with a plaster, apply the resulting composition to a piece of cotton wool, which should be attached to the site of infection with a plaster or bandage.It is recommended to apply this compress all night before going to bed.After the second compress, the wart gradually dies;you can get rid of it completely in a very short time.
- Instead of onions mixed with vinegar, you can apply a plate of horseradish root or a piece of garlic to the infected area.The effect will be the same.
- Celandine has been used since ancient times to remove warts.To completely get rid of them, you need to lubricate the infected area with the juice of this plant 5-6 times a day.After 15 days, there will be no traces of unpleasant formations.An alternative can be herbal medicine that can be purchased at any pharmacy with instructions for use.It should be remembered that abuse of this drug can cause the appearance of keloid scars.
- If a large area of the heel is infected with a wart, fresh nettle can help.The ground herb should be placed on a burdock leaf and applied to the infected area.Secure with a bandage or stocking, preferably wool.A few of these procedures will rid you of plantar warts forever.
- Lemon peel tincture can be easily made at home.Finely chop the peel of two lemons, add 100 g of vinegar.Infuse this composition in a tightly closed container for a week.Treat the infected area with the indicated infusion, avoiding contact with healthy skin 3 times a day.
Before performing the procedures described above, you need to steam your feet for half an hour;you can pour some soda or add soap to the water.The steamed sole is more sensitive to this treatment, which ensures a quick recovery.
Traditional medicine has been tested by the experience of many generations and, unlike modern medicines, has almost no contraindications.However, if no improvement is noted within two weeks, you should consult a doctor.
How to treat plantar warts with medication?
In some cases, plantar warts disappear on their own after a while.However, hoping for luck and waiting for a miracle, this disease can be started, and it is usually possible to get rid of neoplasms at the initial stage quickly and easily, even at home.
The most common means of combating this disease is salicylic acid, which can be purchased at any pharmacy.No doctor's appointment or prescription is required.The liquid composition is applied to the infected area in the form of a compress 2 times a day.You can buy a special patch;with rashes, it is attached to the heel area and removed after two days.
Plantar warts are well treated with a special preparation for local use that contains the venom of blister beetles.Its use does not cause pain, but a kind of blister may form at the treatment site, which will open and dry within a few days.
Treatment of plantar warts is a very long process that requires patience and perseverance.Since immunity plays an important role in solving this disease, it is necessary to use a vitamin complex together with drugs for local use.
Removal of plantar warts
There are several methods to remove plantar warts in clinical conditions, all of them are painful to some extent, but they get rid of the problem in the shortest time.The main methods of removing tumors include:
- Any formation can be removed with a surgical scalpel;warts are no exception.The process itself is quite painful and, of course, must be accompanied by anesthesia.
- Using a laser beam, the vessels near the infected area are burned, as a result of which tissue necrosis occurs and the wart, deprived of nutrition, dies.
- The method of electrocoagulation is to burn the tumor with a high-frequency current.The process itself lasts from a few seconds to a few minutes, everything will depend on the thickness and size of the growth.
Removal of plantar tumors is applied in cases where other methods do not have a positive effect.Scars are often left after these procedures, but these methods remove warts quickly and at the same time as the roots.
Cryodestruction of a plantar wart
This method consists of treating the tumor with liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -196 degrees.The cryodestruction method is expressed by the destruction of the part of the skin infected with viruses during freezing with further stimulation of the body's defenses.However, it should be noted that when a wart appears and remains for up to six months, the effectiveness of getting rid of it is about 85%.At the same time, the effectiveness of removing tumors that have existed for more than six months decreases to 40%.
The cryodestruction process can be performed:
- usually (liquid nitrogen is applied until a light halo of several millimeters is formed near the wart);
- aggressively (liquid nitrogen continues to be applied for another 5-20 seconds after a light halo forms around the wart).
Studies have proven that aggressive freezing is more effective than the conventional method, but its disadvantage is that it is more painful.
After the wart is removed, redness of the skin (hyperemia) and swelling occurs in the affected area.After a few hours, a blister forms on the infected area (which may contain serous or hemorrhagic fluid), and about a week after the blister dries up, a crust forms on the area, which disappears on its own within 10-14 days.
Preventive measures and possible consequences
What is the danger if plantar warts are not treated?If it is not or not properly treated, tumors can multiply and spread to other parts of the body: face, hands.The aesthetic side of the matter probably does not need any comment, but in this case the treatment will take longer.
Any neoplasm can turn into a malignant form.Therefore, it is very dangerous to leave a plantar wart unattended.At the same time, human papillomavirus carriers are a source of infection for other people;their relatives are among the most probable risk group.
The importance of treating plantar warts is clear, but we must not forget about preventive measures:
- mandatory observance of personal hygiene rules;
- Rejection of uncomfortable and tight shoes;
- Wearing special personal shoes in common places such as sauna, bath, swimming pool;
- Treatment of any damage to the heel skin (scratches, wounds);
- use of vitamin complexes;
- Maintain pH levels with moisturizing foot care products.
Since the most important cause of this disease is a viral infection, the main preventive measures should be aimed at maintaining the immune system.Therefore, the main recommendations are personal hygiene and a healthy lifestyle.