A plantar wart or spine is one of the most unpleasant types of skin growths. Such a formation is located on the supporting part of the foot or toes. It consists of overgrown epithelial cells and has a deep root extending into the depths of the dermis.
Spines do not pose a particular danger in terms of oncogenicity, but they can be extremely painful and cause significant discomfort when walking. Such growths are difficult to treat, and are characterized by a tendency to relapse. How to get rid of a plantar wart, which methods are considered the most effective and safe? Find out about this from our article.
Why do spines appear?
Warts on the foot are benign neoplasms of a viral nature. The cause of their appearance is infection with HPV (papilloma virus). The pathogen is transmitted from person to person by contact, or gets on the skin when it comes into contact with an infected surface. It feels great in a warm and humid environment, where it can be stored for a long time. The risk of infection is especially high in public places - baths, saunas, gyms, swimming pools. The virus easily enters the body through small abrasions or scratches on the skin.
A strong immune system suppresses the multiplication of the virus and puts it into a latent state. But as soon as the body's defenses weaken, the pathogen is activated and begins to multiply rapidly. Recent illnesses, stress, and violation of personal hygiene standards are provoking factors that weaken the immune defense. The following factors contribute to the formation of plantar warts:
- excessive sweating of the feet;
- wearing tight, uncomfortable shoes;
- microtrauma of the skin (abrasions, scratches, wounds, abrasions);
- frequent contact with water and detergents that provoke dry skin;
- chronic diseases associated with impaired blood circulation in the lower extremities (diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, varicose veins);
- foot deformities (flat feet, arthritis of small joints, osteoarthritis);
- constant formation of calluses, corns.
Plantar warts can be encountered by wearing the shoes of an infected person or visiting a pedicure salon where tools are poorly disinfected. A plantar wart in a child is often formed after visiting a pool, summer camp, public shower, where the baby may mistakenly put on someone else's shoes, walk barefoot on a dirty surface, or use the personal belongings of the carrier of the infection (towel, washcloth, etc. ). Parents should teach their baby to observe the norms of personal hygiene as early as possible and explain why it is impossible to use other people's things.
What does a plantar wart look like?
The incubation period, during which the papilloma virus multiplies, is quite long - from 1. 5 to 4 months. First, the pathogen affects the basal layer of the epidermis, then spreads upward, which leads to the formation of characteristic growths on the skin.
Initially, a wart on the foot of a child or adult looks like a glossy plaque of round shape and small diameter (up to 2 cm). Soon its surface becomes rough, covered with a dense stratum corneum, rises above the surface of the skin. The color of the spine changes from flesh to yellowish gray. A crater-shaped depression appears in the center of the neoplasm. On closer examination, black dots are visible on the surface of the wart. These are thrombosed capillaries that come out to the surface. The presence of this feature allows you to distinguish a plantar wart from corns or calluses. A photo of a plantar wart gives a complete picture of what this formation looks like on the skin.
A favorite place for localization of the spines is the area of the foot that is subject to the greatest pressure. The root of the neoplasm goes deep into the dermis, irritates the nerve endings, therefore, such warts cause painful sensations when walking. The growths on the soles are single and multiple. Usually, a large maternal wart first appears on the foot. If the virus is highly active, then soon small daughter formations are formed next to it. Sometimes the spine disappears on its own, but more often the constant trauma leads to its growth and the appearance of severe pain due to the constant pressure of the shoe.
How to get rid of warts on the foot if such formations are painful and cause severe discomfort? First of all, you need to contact a dermatologist for examination and treatment. Plantar warts are not easy to deal with as they grow deep into the dermis. To avoid the reappearance of the spines, it is necessary to completely remove the root of the neoplasm. This can be done in different ways - medication and surgical.
Plantar warts: treatment
There are several methods of dealing with plantar warts. At home, pharmacy products can be used to treat warts on the foot. The doctor should select the therapy regimen, since a positive effect can be achieved only with the correct and competent approach.
Drug therapy
For the treatment of plantar warts at home, a variety of methods are used - from destruction by aggressive chemicals (acids, alkalis) to freezing pathological tissues with special means. To exclude relapses, it is necessary not only to remove the growth, but also to suppress the activity of the virus.
The complex treatment is based on the following groups of drugs:
- Antiviral and immunomodulating agents.A cream that activates local immunity and inhibits the multiplication of the virus has a good therapeutic effect. It must be applied twice a day under a bandage. For the same purpose, a cream that stimulates the production of interferon is used.
- Keratolytic agents.Preparations based on salicylic or trichloroacetic acid are designed to soften and exfoliate the rough stratum corneum of the wart. Removing dead scales allows you to get to the base of the wart and facilitate the penetration of cauterizing or necrotizing solutions to its root. This is the only way to avoid the re-emergence of new formations and permanently get rid of the spines.
- Necrotizing drugs.To combat plantar warts, it is recommended to buy solutions based on acids or alkalis with a mummifying effect at the pharmacy. Penetrating into the structure of the neoplasm, aggressive substances burn out the infected tissue, as a result of which the wart undergoes necrosis and dies off. When using such drugs, precautions should be taken, otherwise you can get a chemical burn to healthy skin. Treatment of a plantar wart in a child with necrotic agents is allowed only after consultation with a dermatologist.
- Cryopreparations. . . The principle of action of such funds is based on freezing the tissues of the wart. Under the influence of ultra-low temperatures, the liquid inside the pathological cells freezes and breaks them from the inside. As a result, the wart dies off within 7-10 days. The best products with a freezing effect are produced in aerosol cans equipped with a special applicator for application.
The procedure should be started after consulting a dermatologist. Only a specialist can correctly assess the situation and advise how to get rid of a plantar wart at home. Self-medication often leads to a short-term effect and repeated relapses, since it is not possible to stop the spread of the virus.
Plantar warts in a child
Treatment of warts on the foot of a child is carried out with gentle methods. Children's skin is delicate and thin, so aggressive products can provoke irritation or burns. It is best to use drugs with keratolytic action, which soften and exfoliate horny scales. This method of treatment is not quick - it will take 2-3 weeks to remove the wart.
It is necessary to start the use of keratolytics at the initial stages of neoplasm formation. In this case, it is possible to avoid the reappearance of the build-up. If the spine has grown deeply, you will have to resort to hardware methods of treatment that provide the desired result and guarantee the absence of relapses.
If the plantar wart does not cause much concern, you can treat it with folk remedies - acetic acid solution, lemon juice, garlic tincture. An acidic environment has a destructive effect on the virus, stops its reproduction and prevents the growth of growths.
Surgery
The classic operation with a scalpel is rarely resorted to. Such an intervention is permissible only when removing large growths, which cannot be eliminated by other methods. The surgery is performed using local anesthesia. The surgeon excises the wart and thoroughly cleanses the wound, trying to completely remove the deep root. The disadvantages of the method include pain, the risk of wound infection and the subsequent development of complications, a long recovery period, during which a person is limited in mobility.
It is better to remove plantar warts using hardware techniques that are less traumatic and safe. The referral to the procedure is given by the doctor after a preliminary examination and identification of possible contraindications. The main treatment options are:
Electrocoagulation
The essence of the method is to cauterize the tissue of the build-up with a high-frequency electric current. The procedure is carried out with the use of local anesthesia, as it is accompanied by painful sensations. This option is only suitable for removing medium-sized spines, with shallow germination into the depth of the dermis. If large formations are cauterized, the risk of scar formation and repeated relapses is not excluded.
The rehabilitation period after electrocoagulation takes quite a long time, requires treatment of the wound with antiseptic solutions, excluding infection. During the recovery process, the patient is limited in movement, since the load on the foot causes painful sensations.
Cryodestruction
This is one of the most popular and affordable methods for treating plantar warts. The procedure takes only a few minutes and consists in treating the neoplasm with liquid nitrogen. Ultra-low temperature provides instant freezing effect. The frozen liquid ruptures the cells of the pathological neoplasm from the inside - as a result, the wart undergoes necrosis and dies off within 10 days.
During the session, the doctor presses the applicator with the refrigerant to the neoplasm for a few seconds, pre-protecting the surrounding healthy tissue. The effectiveness of the procedure is evidenced by the blanching of the skin in the treatment area. Soon, a blister forms at the site of the wart, which should not be touched or pierced. It is recommended to cover it with a plaster to avoid injury. After a few days, the blister will dry out and a crust will form in its place. After it falls off, renewed, healthy skin remains at the site of the wart.
The procedure should be performed only by an experienced technician. Excessive exposure time causes damage to deep tissues, followed by the formation of a scar, and too superficial exposure does not destroy the root of the wart, which will lead to the appearance of new growths.
Laser removal
The modern procedure gives the best aesthetic result, allows you to control the depth of exposure, eliminates the risk of complications. Laser radiation evaporates the wart tissue layer by layer, simultaneously coagulating the blood vessels and disinfecting the operating field. This effect eliminates the risk of bleeding, infection, guarantees the absence of relapses, as it prevents the spread of viral particles. Different types of laser are used to remove warts - erbium, acid or pulsed.
The laser procedure is safe, effective and painless, and does not require a long recovery period. At the site of the removed wart, a small wound remains, which is sealed with a plaster. After the procedure, the patient can immediately go home and lead a normal life. The rehabilitation period is very short - complete healing takes only a few days.
Removal with a radio knife
The essence of the latest technique is the use of radio waves, which allows you to remove plantar warts in the fastest and safest way. Powerful heat radiation burns out the build-up without direct contact with surrounding tissues. The liquid in the cells of the neoplasm instantly evaporates, which causes the destruction of the wart. At the same time, healthy skin is not damaged; during the procedure, the doctor adjusts the depth and duration of exposure. At the same time, high-frequency radio waves disinfect the surgical field and cauterize the blood vessels, which eliminates the risk of bleeding.
What method of dealing with plantar warts to choose, the patient decides in conjunction with the attending physician. Before the appointment of the procedure, the dermatologist finds out possible contraindications.
A list of restrictions on the use of any hardware methods:
- inflammatory processes on the skin in the area of treatment;
- diabetes;
- infectious, respiratory diseases (ARVI, ARI);
- hypertension;
- exacerbation of herpesvirus infection;
- pregnancy.
The question of the use of apparatus methods in relation to the child is discussed with the doctor. Some procedures have age restrictions, so you should find out in advance all the nuances of the proposed methods and make sure that there is no harm to the baby's health.