Plantar warts (plantar warts) are benign neoplasms caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).They occur mainly in young people and do not pose a particular danger, since their degree of oncogenicity is too low.
But, nevertheless, to remove growths it is better to consult a dermatologist.Modern instrumental methods of excision of warts are much more effective than banal celandine, and even surgical intervention, but they are used exclusively as prescribed by the attending physician.
This therapy reduces the risk of relapse of the pathological process to a minimum, and also prevents further rooting and proliferation of skin tumors on the soles of the feet.
Causes
A wart is a skin growth that is benign in nature.The appearance of the spine is caused by the penetration of the papilloma virus into the human body, of which there are about 100 varieties.
After entering the human body, HPV may not reveal itself for a long time, being in a “sleeping” state.But as soon as favorable conditions are created for it, it becomes active and immediately begins to multiply, affecting first the soft tissues, and then the layers of the dermis, which sooner or later leads to the formation of warts.
The “dormant” state of HPV is due to:
- strong immunity;
- phagocytosis (a specific protective reaction that is activated when pathological agents penetrate the human body).
The risk of HPV infection depends on:
- the state in which the virus is located in the body of an infected person;
- nature of contact (direct/indirect);
- state of immunity of the HPV carrier.
People with weak immune systems are most susceptible to papillomatosis.But other factors may also influence the formation of plantar warts:
- constant stress;
- overwork;
- failure to comply with hygiene rules;
- exhaustion of the body;
- uncomfortable or tight shoes;
- wounds, scratches, ulcers on the surface of the skin of the feet.
HPV can enter the human body through:
- using towels or other items belonging to a virus carrier;
- handshake.
Factors predisposing to the formation of spines include:
- increased sweating of the feet;
- frequent contacts with household chemicals (even if the washed laundry has been rinsed well);
- injuries leading to disruption of the integrity of the skin of the legs;
- calluses, corns;
- diseases of the endocrine and cardiovascular systems;
- using non-sterile tools for nail care;
- visiting public baths, saunas, swimming pools, beaches.
Human skin consists of several layers, which are:
- epidermis;
- dermis;
- subcutaneous fat tissue.
Once in the human body, the papilloma virus infects the basal layer of the epidermis (skin) and begins to actively multiply.Cells affected by papillomavirus gradually rise through all layers of the epidermis, eventually localizing on the stratum corneum of the epithelium.Thus, the skin becomes rough and keratinized, which forms a wart.
Symptoms
The incubation period lasts differently for each person.On average, it ranges from several weeks to six months.During this time, the number of cells infected with the virus increases rapidly.But since the DNA gene of the type of HPV that causes plantar warts does not penetrate the cell nuclei, the risk of developing an oncological process is almost completely eliminated.
A plantar wart is a hard skin growth that has clear boundaries and an oval or round shape.The size of the growth ranges from 1-2 cm in diameter.The spine has a rod that goes deep into the layers of the dermis, and it is this that causes discomfort and pain when walking.It protrudes above the surface of the skin by approximately 1-3 cm. In this case, the neoplasm may have a normal color, or a light brown or pinkish tint.
At the initial stage of the formation of a skin growth, its surface is smooth, however, as it “ripens” it becomes coarser, as a result of which it becomes rough.Its hue becomes gray-yellow, and a crater-like depression may appear in the center.The appearance of brown dots on the surface of plantar warts is also considered a common occurrence.They appear as a result of the process of thrombosis of surface capillaries occurring in the neoplasm tissues.
In most cases, plantar warts are single growths.However, in some situations, the formation of daughter spines is possible, which indicates excessive activity of the papillomavirus.A large number of neoplasms create a specific mosaic pattern in the area of the skin where they are localized, which is why they are also called “mosaic warts.”
Sometimes the spine may disappear on its own, without the need for treatment.At the same time, a person does not have a trace left at the place where it was localized.However, this is not common, since the foot is a place where the tumor is often injured.As a result, its self-destruction becomes almost impossible.On the contrary, it can constantly become inflamed, bleed and cause pain.
What plantar warts look like: photo
To understand what a spine on an adult’s foot looks like, you can look at the presented photo of a plantar wart.
Diagnostics
In most cases, to diagnose plantar warts, it is not necessary to carry out any diagnostic procedures - the diagnosis is based on a visual examination by a dermatologist of the areas of the foot affected by growths.
However, if there is a need to choose a method for removing a skin tumor, laboratory testing of a scraping taken from the surface of the spine may be necessary.
How to treat plantar warts: basic principles
Local treatment is often sufficient to treat plantar warts.However, if the virus is too active and daughter tumors occur, the doctor may prescribe systemic therapy based on the use of antiviral and immunomodulatory medications.They help suppress the activity of papillomavirus and strengthen the immune system, which, in turn, helps prevent deeper penetration of HPV and damage to healthy areas of the skin.
However, preference is still given to local treatment, which not only removes the upper part of the spine, but also removes its shaft.But it should be noted right away that the use of well-known folk remedies for warts is often not very successful, so it is better, nevertheless, to seek help from a dermatologist, undergo an examination and subsequent treatment.
The most effective and frequently used methods of treating plantar warts include:
- Chemical destruction.With the help of special medications, skin tumors are cauterized, which leads to the complete destruction of their tissue structure.It is on the cauterizing property of certain herbs and remedies that the treatment of spines with the help of folk remedies is based.
- Use of cytostatic drugs for local use.Products based on 5-fluorouracil, as well as ointments, have the highest effect.
- Freezing a plantar wart with liquid nitrogen.This procedure is called cryodestruction.Using a special device into which the necessary drug is filled, the growth is frozen (the exposure temperature reaches -220 ° C) and its subsequent removal.The manipulation is performed under local anesthesia and requires careful skin care after completion.
- Surgical intervention.In this case, they resort to the process of scraping the warts with a special medical device - a Volkmann spoon.It is possible to simply excise the spines with an ordinary scalpel, but this procedure has long been outdated.
In addition to the above-described manipulations, removal of plantar warts is also carried out using modern instrumental techniques.Among them, the most popular are:
- Laser coagulation, which helps get rid of skin growths in just 1 session.
- Electrocoagulation.Using a special electric scalpel, the spine is carefully removed.After the procedure, wounds and small scars may remain, so it is not used as often as laser coagulation.
- Radio wave removal of plantar warts.The manipulation is performed through the use of ultrasonic frequencies emitted by the drug.The procedure is as popular as cryodestruction or laser coagulation.
- Ozone therapy.
Instrumental removal of plantar warts can be supplemented with local therapy, using drugs that have an antiviral effect.This combination of agents helps to significantly reduce the risk of relapse of the pathological process, significantly increasing the overall effectiveness of treatment.For this, the patient is prescribed ointments or subcutaneous injections of interferons, as well as applications.
Before using medications, a course of treatment is required to soften the keratinized layer of the epidermis on the surface of the spine.For this purpose, keratolytics are used, which, however, do not remove the growth itself, so they are not suitable as an independent remedy for papillomatosis.You can use not only ointments - most often doctors recommend gluing calluses or bactericidal plasters.A few days are enough to soften the wart, after which you can proceed directly to the main treatment.
Since the spine is prone to frequent inflammation, and the risk of secondary infection is too high, the patient may need to use antibacterial or anti-inflammatory medications.However, in this case, a special place is given to local treatment.
Laser removal of plantar warts
Today, one of the most popular and highly effective instrumental methods for removing plantar warts is laser coagulation.There are several types of carbon dioxide laser, which are used to destroy skin tumors.Thanks to this, a separate type of laser is used for each type of growth, which helps to completely excise the wart and prevent its reappearance in the treated area.
The principle of laser beam action is simple.Due to high temperatures, liquids evaporate from the tissues of the plantar wart, resulting in their necrosis.And although this process takes some time, laser coagulation allows you to remove unaesthetic and painful tumors in just 1 procedure.The main advantage of this technique is not even its high efficiency, but the almost complete absence of contraindications and side effects.The downside is the high cost of the procedure, so not every patient will be able to afford it.
Only a qualified specialist - a dermatologist - can choose the optimal option for removing spines.He will also recommend how to prepare for the procedure, and also tell you what measures need to be taken to prevent the recurrence of a plantar wart.
Pharmacy ready products
If the plantar wart has not yet become deeply rooted and hardened, it can also be removed using ready-made solutions and ointments, freely available in pharmacies.Each product contains an alkali or acid, so you must strictly follow the instructions for use of the selected drug.
A good remedy for spines is salicylic or boric acid, used in the form of ointments or applications.
Traditional medicine
The arsenal of traditional medicine also has many recipes that are highly effective in combating various types of warts, including plantar warts.But it is not advisable to use them as independent remedies - in most cases they must be combined with pharmaceutical medications.
Here are the most effective recipes:
- Celandine juice.Perhaps this is one of the most popular and effective folk remedies used to treat various types of skin growths.You only need to treat the growths with fresh juice 2-3 times a day until they disappear completely.
- Garlic juice.This remedy has a powerful antiviral, bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effect.Before using it to treat plantar warts, the growth must first be steamed and cut slightly, then lubricated with garlic juice and wrapped in a bandage.Carry out the procedure daily.The course of treatment is 2-3 weeks.
- Acetic acid.To prepare the remedy, you need to infuse the onion in acetic acid for 2-3 hours, then make a compress and secure it with a bandage.Leave overnight.
- Porridge made from rowan berries.
However, the most effective remedy in the fight against warts is not drugs, not the above-mentioned traditional medicine recipes, and not even modern instrumental methods for removing them, but a strong immune system.In people whose immune status has undergone positive changes, cases of spontaneous disappearance of skin tumors on the feet have been observed.
You can strengthen the immune system in many ways: sports, walking in the fresh air, proper nutrition, giving up bad habits and, finally, special medications - immunomodulators.Be that as it may, a stable and strong immune system is the key to the absolute health of the entire body.
Prevention
Primary prevention of plantar warts is aimed at preventing HPV infection.To do this you need:
- have individual shoes when visiting public swimming pools, baths, saunas;
- use exclusively your own towels and personal hygiene products;
- wear comfortable shoes;
- fight sweaty feet;
- treat any wounds, cracks and even minor scratches on the legs.
For secondary prevention of plantar warts, it is necessary to strengthen the immune system using antiviral and immunomodulatory drugs.It is necessary to start taking medications prescribed by a doctor immediately after the procedure to remove a skin tumor, which in itself is stressful for the body.
The therapeutic course must be completed to the end, since its interruption will reduce all efforts made to zero, so even a qualified specialist will not be able to eliminate the risk of re-formation of plantar warts.