Since ancient times, ugly formations on the body have bothered mankind. A wart on the foot is a skin disease caused by a virus. People with skin defects were avoided, fearing infection, and, having noticed a neoplasm on the plant or another part of the body, they tried to remove it as soon as possible. What people don't apply to their plantar warts, if they just disappear forever. Until now, dermatologists are looking for the most effective and painless method of dealing with the disease.
What is a wart?
Human papillomavirus causes a benign or oncological DNA mutation in skin cells. The body is covered with papillomas, warts, papules. More than one hundred types of HPV have been studied. A wart is a growth in the skin that signals the presence of the first or third type of papilloma virus in the body. Neoplasms are potentially non-cancerous, but extremely infectious due to the viability of the pathogen in the external environment.
What does a wart on the leg look like?
Plantar neoplasm has a round shape with clear edges of a couple of millimeters or centimeters. In the center, black dots of clogged capillaries are visible. On the leg, they look like old dry corns that have grown into the skin. The pain of plantar growth does not occur under direct pressure, but by compression. Characteristic is the absence of papillary lines on the foot.
Causes of the plantar wart
HPV infections are more common with unprotected intercourse. The virus penetrates through microfractures in the mucous membranes of the genital organs. Someone's HPV is "in transit", while others are less fortunate: the virus remains in the body, without warning itself for a long time. Dermatologists do not exclude that the appearance of papillomas on the surface of the feet is promoted by immune disorders and infectious diseases.
Walking barefoot in public places: bathrooms, swimming pools, body care salons, shared bathrooms, on the beach, wearing barefoot shoes are the most common causes of plantar wart. The virus is viable outside of its host and "lurks in ambush for the victim" on guest towels, tiles, washcloths, furniture, slippers, etc. The infection is attracted to dense, tight areas of the skin of the plantar surfaces and palms, where the papilloma virus enters through minor lesions.
Warts on children's legs
Children are restless, often injured. Parents may not be aware of the presence of HPV in the child's body, obtained through cuts and abrasions. With a weakening of immunity, the virus becomes active, papilloma appears on the leg. Painful methods of treating warts on the legs in children are often contraindicated, poorly tolerated. Often the child's body copes with this foot skin disease on its own.
Types of warts on the legs
Warts are a collection of skin lesions caused by papilloma. Depending on the external manifestation, the impact on human health, the following types of warts are classified:
- vulgar (ordinary) - round keratinized blisters;
- flat - a rash in the form of spots rising above the skin;
- filiform (acrocordi) - elongated with "torn" edges, formed in the folds of the body;
- genital warts - resembling a rooster's comb;
- senile (keratomas) - which occur in the elderly, are not associated with HPV.
Warts formations are localized throughout the body, on internal organs, in the oral cavity. Warts on the feet, called plantar warts, are one type of common. One of the types includes well-shaped, which are a depression pressed into the skin, characterized by rapid growth. The appearance of subungual growths slightly raises the nail plate.
Plantar wart treatment
It is dangerous to neglect the treatment of plantar warts. Foot neoplasms are constantly injured. They are removed to stop new growths and infections from entering. There is no complete cure for HPV. Treatment boils down to turning the disease into a "sleep mode". Available drugs, surgical removal, immunomodulating of plantar warts, using alternative medicine.
The disadvantage of treating plantar growths lies in their location - the broad stratum corneum of the epidermis makes it difficult to deliver active substances to the depth of formation on the foot. In preparation for therapy, the upper layer of the accumulation is soaked and exfoliated. Traditionally, the treatment of warts on the feet begins with the use of salicylic acid. The wart on the foot is daily, for three months, steamed in a bath, disinfected, then the softened top layer is cleaned with a pumice stone, salicylic acid is applied, and a plaster is applied.
Pharmacy chains advise how to get rid of a wart on the leg with the help of medicines containing celandine, phenol, trichloroacetic acid. The drugs cause tissue necrosis, relieving the patient of the deficiency, but they leave a healing trail of a deep wart wound. Each disease is individual to varying degrees, so before choosing a method for removing a wart on the sole of the foot, you should seek the advice of your doctor.
Ointment
According to the method of action, there are necrotizing, antiviral, herbal ointments. In the first case, the acid or alkali at the base of the ointment cauterizes the painful growth and leaves a scar. At home, for the treatment of feet, you can use liquid solutions: with acetic, nitric, oxalic, lactic acids in the composition. To avoid burns, the surface of the neoplasm is strictly processed.
Antiviral ointment for warts on the foot is applied to the growth itself and the surrounding area to reduce the growth of the infection. They are used with special ointments. Herbal ingredients only affect the formation of the skin. Known for their effectiveness in treating foot balm with an applicator, colhamin ointment.
Modern methods of removal
The advent of modern methods of wart removal has replaced the traumatic scalpel. Similar to the surgeon's knife, the electrocoagulator burns the neoplasm on the foot with current. After the removal procedure with a laser or radio waves, a depression remains on the foot. Healing takes several weeks. Liquid nitrogen exposure is considered a very painful treatment and requires several treatments. In 2014, British dermatologists published a material on the latest antigen injection therapy. It will help patients who are resistant to existing treatments.
Folk remedies
Procedures with folk remedies for warts on the legs are carried out before bedtime, with pre-cooked feet and for a long time. When handling, protect hands with latex gloves from further spread of infection, disinfect all devices and things used to prevent infection of loved ones. List of popular ways considered effective to get rid of feet from a wart:
- Garlic is known for its antibiotic properties. In a neoplasm on the sole, the hardened top layer is cut off, a thin clove of garlic is applied.
- You can make "anti-beard paste". It is mixed with finely grated garlic, vinegar, wheat flour, spread on the surface of the neoplasm and sealed with a plaster. After a few days, the dough is removed along with the build-up.
- Apply a vinegar-infused onion to the foot, or you can rub the growth with vinegar, then attach a fresh onion.
- You can fill the formation with the juice of medicinal plants: celandine, Kalanchoe, calendula, milkweed, dandelion, golden mustache or attach a slice of apple, rowan, figs, potatoes, horseradish, cabbage. The procedure is performed daily, lasting several weeks or months, until the buildup disappears.
- You can apply wood ash diluted in water to a creamy state.
- The growth is sprinkled with powdered gypsum and wrapped with a bandage. The compress cannot be wet.
- Salicylic-containing birch and willow barks have been shown to be effective in treatment. The bark is applied to the foot, softening it beforehand with boiling water.
- Warm foot baths with sea salt, soda, laundry soap, tea tree oil or spruce broth help in the treatment of foot diseases. Treatments can be mixed or alternated.
- Absinthe broth applications are used. 3 tablespoons of dry wormwood herb are brewed in a glass of boiling water, insisting for at least 2 hours.