Preventing Plantar Warts

One condition we at Texas Foot Specialists find that patients want to get rid of as quickly as possible is plantar warts. Not only are they unsightly, since they usually occur on the bottom of your feet, plantar warts can cause pain when you walk especially as they grow larger. You can recognize a plantar wart by the thick skin and tiny black pinpoints in the center. A wart may be singular or they can occur in clusters known as mosaics.

Our podiatrists, Dr. Gregory Mangum and Dr. Bruce Miller, can prescribe an appropriate treatment for your wart. Options include laser therapy, cryotherapy (freezing), oral or topical medications, acid therapy and minor surgery.

Of course the best scenario is not getting a wart in the first place. Plantar warts are caused by the HPV virus (human papilloma virus). In order for a wart to form you must come in direct contact with the virus. Here are some ways you can protect yourself:

• If you or someone in your family has a wart, wash your hands frequently.
• Do not pick on any existing warts—you can spread the virus to other parts of your own body and cause more warts to develop.
• Don’t go barefoot in public places such as community pools, gyms, locker rooms and salons that offer pedicures.
• Never share towels, razors, flips flops or other footwear or anything else that touches someone else’s feet.
• Keep your feet dry—the HPV virus flourishes in damp places.
• If you already have an existing wart keep it covered with a bandage to reduce the possibility of touching it.

If you have discovered something abnormal about the skin on one or both of your feet, make an appointment at our Pasadena (281- 991-0600), Houston (713-664-6677) or Sugar Land (281-242-4448) office. Most skin conditions are more easily treated if caught in their early stages.