How to treat warts on the soles of the feet?

Apply Salicylic acid, use a pumice stone to rub or crush purple onion and apply, and surgically remove warts.

Plantar warts are skin infections caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). About 10% of teenagers have warts. Using public swimming pools or walking around locker rooms barefoot after working out at the gym, doing martial arts, yoga, etc. increases the risk of developing warts.

10% of young people have warts. Photo: Internet.

Warts are caused by a virus that enters the body through a break in the skin. The virus grows in warm, moist environments, such as locker rooms or shoes where the feet sweat and the moisture cannot escape. Plantar warts often spread to other areas of the foot, increasing in size and causing pain.

Warts can grow anywhere on the feet. They can be difficult to distinguish from calluses. Warts often appear as tiny black dots on the surface. These are the ends of blood capillaries. Calluses have no blood vessels, are usually yellowish-waxy, and are usually found in pressure areas on the soles of the feet.

Plantar warts can be very painful or mildly painful. Standing and walking push flat warts apart. Larger warts have roots that dig deep into the skin, making the affected person feel like there is a pebble in their shoe.

Plantar warts may go away on their own or grow larger. Seek treatment if they are painful and make walking difficult.

A common mistake is to remove warts by yourself thinking you have stepped on them or to cut yourself with unsterilized tools. This can cause secondary infections in the wounds and make the condition worse, progressing to chronic ulcers on the feet.

Treatment methods

Your doctor may cut out the wart and apply a chemical treatment. Salicylic acid may be applied topically, applied daily. Good foot hygiene, including regular use of a pumice stone to scrub the wart.

If the wart is resistant to treatment, your doctor may recommend a procedure to remove it. After applying local anesthesia, your doctor may use liquid nitrogen to freeze the wart and dissolve it. To avoid scarring or damage to other tissues, this method only removes the top part of the wart.

Treatment must be repeated regularly until all warts are removed. Alternatively, doctors may perform minor surgery to remove the warts.

In Vietnam, some folk remedies that can be used are soaking feet in warm salt water every night for about 15-20 minutes, using a pumice stone to gently rub the wart skin to reduce its thickness. Then pound fresh purple onion and apply it on the wart and bandage it until morning, repeat this for about 8-10 days, the wart will peel off by itself and the wound will heal well. Many people who practice this method have quite good results.

Prevent plantar warts

To reduce your risk of getting warts, wear slippers when using public locker rooms or showers. Wear breathable shoes and change your socks often to keep your feet dry. Remember that warts are caused by a viral infection of the skin, so they can spread to other people and can easily recur on other parts of the foot.

Wash your feet regularly with antibacterial soap. Do not share shoes with someone who has warts.

According to VNE