Warts
Warts that occur on the bottom of your feet are called plantar warts. Often, they occur on the areas of the foot that experience the most pressure, such as the ball or heel of your foot. Because of the increased pressure to those areas from walking and physical activity, plantar warts in these areas often penetrate deep into the tissue and can be very painful. Warts are caused by human papilloma virus, or HPV. They can be spread in moist environments such as public showers, locker rooms, and swimming areas, but not everyone who comes in contact with a plantar wart or HPV will develop one.
![warts[1]](https://www.oasisfootankle.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/warts1.jpg)
Diagnosis
Your podiatrist will diagnosis a plantar wart based on physical exam and description of symptoms.
Treatment
If your doctor determines that your wart needs to be treated, the usual choice of therapy is salicylic acid, which when applied daily eventually softens the skin layers of the wart so that it can be peeled off. This process may take several weeks or months. Other treatment options for plantar warts include injection with medication, freezing with liquid nitrogen, and surgical removal. In children, a removal method using duct tape may be effective and relatively painless.
Without Treatment
Sometimes plantar warts go away on their own if left untreated. However, many warts can become larger, more painful, and can even begin to multiply into clusters of warts called mosaic warts. Walking and running will become difficult in these situations. Over time, some plantar warts can lead to a type of skin cancer.
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