A plantar wart or a spine is one of the most unpleasant types of skin growth. Such a formation is located on the bearing part of the foot or toes. It is made up of invading epithelial cells and has a deep root extending deep into the dermis.
Thorns do not present a particular danger in terms of oncogenicity, but they can be extremely painful and cause significant discomfort when walking. These growths are difficult to treat and are characterized by a tendency to relapse. How to get rid of a plantar wart, what methods are considered the most effective and safe? Find out in our article.
Why do thorns 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 penetrates the skin when it comes into contact with an infected surface. It feels great in a hot and humid environment, where it can be stored for a long time. The risk of infection is particularly high in public places - baths, saunas, gymnasiums, 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 in a latent state. But as soon as the body's defenses weaken, the pathogen is activated and begins to multiply rapidly. Recent illnesses, stress, violation of personal hygiene standards become provoking factors that weaken the immune defenses. The following factors contribute to the formation of plantar warts:
- excessive sweating of the feet;
- wearing tight and uncomfortable shoes;
- microtrauma of the skin (abrasions, scratches, wounds, abrasions);
- frequent contact with water and detergents which cause dry skin;
- chronic diseases associated with impaired blood circulation in the lower extremities (diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, varicose veins);
- deformities of the foot (flat feet, arthritis of small joints, osteoarthritis);
- constant formation of calluses, corns.
Plantar warts can be encountered while wearing the shoes of an infected person or visiting a pedicure salon where the tools are poorly disinfected. A plantar wart in a child often forms after visiting a swimming pool, summer camp, public shower, where the baby may mistakenly put on someone else's shoes, walk barefoot on a dirty surface, oruse the personal effects of the carrier of the infection (towel, washcloth, etc. ). Parents should teach their babies to observe personal hygiene standards as early as possible and explain why it is impossible to use other people's belongings.
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 of all, the pathogen affects the basal layer of the epidermis, then spreads upwards, which leads to the formation of characteristic growths on the skin.
Initially, a wart on the foot of a child or an adult looks like a shiny plaque of a round shape and a small diameter (up to 2 cm). Soon its surface becomes rough, covered with a dense horny layer, 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. Upon closer inspection, black dots are visible on the surface of the wart. These are thrombosed capillaries that rise 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 spot for locating thorns is the area of the foot that is under the greatest pressure. The root of the neoplasm penetrates deep into the dermis, irritates the nerve endings. Hence, these warts cause painful sensations when walking. The growths on the soles are unique and multiple. Usually, a large maternal wart first appears on the foot. If the virus is very active, small girl formations soon form next to it. Sometimes the spine disappears on its own, but more often the constant injury 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 treat because they grow deep in the dermis. To prevent the reappearance of the thorns, the root of the neoplasm must be completely removed. This can be done in different ways - medicinally and surgically.
Plantar warts: treatment
There are several methods for treating plantar warts. At home, drugstore products can be used to treat warts on the foot. The doctor should choose the treatment regimen, since a positive effect can only be achieved with the correct and competent approach.
Drug therapy
For the treatment of plantar warts at home, various 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 suppress the growth, but also to suppress the activity of the virus.
Complex treatment is based on the following groups of drugs:
- Antiviral and immunomodulatory agents.A cream that activates local immunity and inhibits the multiplication of the virus has a good therapeutic effect. It should 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 horny layer of the wart. The removal of dead scales allows access to the base of the wart and facilitates the penetration of cauterizing or necrotizing solutions to its root. This is the only way to avoid the reappearance of new formations and get rid of thorns forever.
- Necrotizing drugs.To combat plantar warts, it is recommended to purchase solutions based on acids or alkalis with a mummifying effect at a pharmacy. Getting into the structure of the neoplasm, aggressive substances burn the infected tissue, which leads to necrosis and death of the wart. When using such drugs, care should be taken, otherwise you can get a chemical burn on 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 these funds is based on the freezing of wart tissue. 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 in 7-10 days. The best products with an ice effect are made in aerosol cans equipped with a special applicator for the application.
The procedure should be started after consulting a dermatologist. Only a specialist can properly assess the situation and advise on 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. As children's skin is delicate and thin, aggressive products can cause irritation or burns. It is better to use drugs with keratolytic action, which soften and exfoliate the horny scales. This method of treatment is not quick - it will take 2-3 weeks to remove the wart.
It is necessary to start using keratolytics at the initial stages of the formation of neoplasms. In this case, it is possible to avoid the reappearance of the accumulation. If the spine has developed deeply, you will have to resort to hardware treatment methods that provide the desired result and ensure that there are no relapses.
If the plantar wart does not cause much concern, it can be treated with folk remedies - acetic acid solution, lemon juice, tincture of garlic. An acidic environment has a destructive effect on the virus, stops its reproduction and prevents the growth of growths.
Operation
The classic operation with a scalpel is rarely performed. Such intervention is allowed only when removing large growths, which can not be removed by other methods. The surgery is performed under local anesthesia. The surgeon excises the wart and carefully cleans 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.
Plantar warts are best removed using less traumatic and safe hardware techniques. The referral for the intervention is given by the doctor after a preliminary examination and the identification of possible contraindications. The main treatment options are:
Electrocoagulation
The essence of the method is to cauterize the tissue of the buildup with a high frequency electric current. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia, as it is accompanied by painful sensations. This option is suitable only for removing thorns of medium size, with shallow germination in the depth of the dermis. If large formations are cauterized, the risk of scar formation and repeated recurrence is not excluded.
The rehabilitation period after electrocoagulation is quite long, requires treatment of the wound with antiseptic solutions, excluding infection. During the recovery process, the patient is limited in his movements, since the load on the foot causes painful sensations.
Cryodestruction
It is one of the most popular and affordable methods of treating plantar warts. The procedure only takes a few minutes and involves treating the neoplasm with liquid nitrogen. The ultra-low temperature provides an instant freezing effect. The frozen fluid ruptures the cells of the pathological neoplasm from the inside - as a result, the wart undergoes necrosis and dies within 10 days.
During the session, the doctor presses the applicator with the coolant on the neoplasm for a few seconds, thus pre-protecting the surrounding healthy tissue. The effectiveness of the procedure is evidenced by the whitening 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 bandage to avoid injury. After a few days, the blister dries up and a scab forms in its place. After it falls, renewed and healthy skin remains at the site of the wart.
The procedure should only be performed by an experienced technician. Excessive exposure time causes deep tissue damage, followed by scar formation, and too shallow exposure does not destroy the wart root, 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 blood vessels and disinfecting the surgical site. Such an 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, acidic 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 bandage. After the procedure, the patient can immediately return home and lead a normal life. The rehabilitation period is very short - full recovery 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 thermal radiation burns the build-up without direct contact with surrounding tissue. The fluid 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 the exposure. At the same time, high-frequency radio waves disinfect the operating field and cauterize the blood vessels, which eliminates the risk of bleeding.
Which method of plantar warts treatment to choose, the patient decides together with the attending physician. Before the appointment of the procedure, the dermatologist finds out about possible contraindications.
A list of restrictions on the use of all hardware methods:
- inflammatory processes on the skin in the treatment area;
- Diabetes;
- infectious and 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 need to know in advance all the nuances of the proposed methods and make sure that there is no danger to the health of the baby.