A plantar wart or spine is one of the more unpleasant types of skin growths. Such formation is located on the supporting part of the foot or toes. It is made up of overgrown epithelial cells and has a deep root that extends into the depths of the dermis.
Spines pose no particular danger in terms of oncogenicity, but they can be extremely painful and cause considerable 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 in our article.
Why do thorns appear?
Warts on the foot are benign neoplasms of a viral nature. The cause of their appearance is HPV (papilloma virus) infection. The pathogen is transmitted from person to person by contact or settles 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 particularly high in public places: bathrooms, 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 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 rules become provocative 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 that cause skin dryness;
- chronic diseases associated with impaired blood circulation in the lower limbs (diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, varicose veins);
- foot deformity (flat foot, small joint arthritis, osteoarthritis);
- constant formation of corns, calluses.
Plantar warts can be encountered while wearing an infected person's shoes or by visiting a pedicure salon where tools are poorly disinfected. A plantar wart in a child often forms after visiting a swimming pool, summer camp, public shower, where the child may mistakenly wear someone else's shoes, walk barefoot on a dirty surface, or use the wearer's belongings infection (towel, towel, etc. ). Parents should teach their child to observe the rules of personal hygiene as soon 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 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 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. Upon closer inspection, blackheads 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 provides a complete picture of what this formation looks like on the skin.
A favorite place for spines to be located is the area of the foot subject to the greatest pressure. The root of the neoplasm goes deep into the dermis, irritates the nerve endings, so such warts cause painful sensations when walking. The growths on the soles are single and multiple. Usually, a large maternal wart appears on the foot for the first time. If the virus is very active, small daughter formations soon form next to it. Sometimes the spine disappears by itself, 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 as they grow deep into the dermis. To prevent the spines from reappearing, the root of the neoplasm must be completely removed. This can be done in several ways: medication and surgical.
Plantar warts: treatment
There are several methods of treating plantar warts. At home, pharmacy products can be used to treat warts on the foot. The doctor should select the treatment regimen, since a positive effect can only be achieved with a correct and competent approach.
Pharmacological 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 by special means. To exclude relapses, it is necessary not only to remove 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 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 horny layer of the wart. Removal of dead scales allows you to reach 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 reappearance of new formations and get rid of the thorns forever.
- Necrotizing drugs.To combat plantar warts, it is recommended to buy acid or alkali-based solutions with a mummifying effect at the pharmacy. Penetrating into the structure of the neoplasm, aggressive substances burn the infected tissue, as a result of which the wart undergoes necrosis and dies. When using such drugs, it is necessary to take precautions, otherwise it is possible to 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 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 within 7-10 days. The best products with 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
The treatment of a child's foot warts is carried out by gentle methods. Children's skin is delicate and thin, so harsh 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 begin the use of keratolytics in the initial stages of tumor formation. In this case, it is possible to avoid the reappearance of the accumulation. If the spine has grown deep, you will have to resort to hardware treatment methods that provide the desired result and ensure 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 growth of growths.
Surgery
The classic operation with the use of a scalpel is rarely used. Such an intervention is allowed only when removing large growths, which cannot be eliminated by other methods. The surgery is performed under local anesthesia. The surgeon removes the wart and cleans the wound thoroughly, 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 best to remove plantar warts using less traumatic and safe hardware techniques. The referral to the procedure is given by the doctor after a preliminary examination and the identification of any contraindications. The main treatment options are:
Electrocoagulation
The essence of the method is to cauterize the accumulation tissue 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 suitable only for removing medium-sized spines, with superficial germination in 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 a long time, requires treatment of the wound with antiseptic solutions, excluding infections. During the recovery process, the patient is limited in movement, as the load on the foot causes painful sensations.
cryodestruction
This is one of the most popular and affordable methods of treating plantar warts. The procedure takes only a few minutes and consists of treating the neoplasm with liquid nitrogen. Ultra-low temperature provides instant freezing effect. Frozen liquid breaks down 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 tumor for a few seconds, pre-protecting the surrounding healthy tissue. The effectiveness of the procedure is demonstrated by the whitening of the skin in the area to be treated. Soon a blister forms at the wart site, which should not be touched or punctured. It is recommended to cover it with a plaster to avoid injury. After a few days, the blister will dry out and a scab will form in its place. After it falls off, renewed and healthy skin remains at the wart site.
The procedure should only be performed by an experienced technician. Excessive exposure time causes deep tissue damage, followed by scar formation, and too superficial exposure does not destroy the wart root, which will lead to the appearance of new growths.
Laser removal
The modern procedure offers the best aesthetic result, allows you to control the depth of exposure, eliminates the risk of complications. The laser radiation evaporates the wart tissue layer by layer, simultaneously coagulating the blood vessels and disinfecting the operating field. Such an effect eliminates the risk of bleeding, infection, ensures the absence of relapses, as it prevents the spread of viral particles. Several types of lasers 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 plaster. After the procedure, the patient can immediately go home and lead a normal life. The rehabilitation period is very short: complete 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. The powerful heat radiation burns the build-up without direct contact with the surrounding tissues. The liquid in the cancer cells evaporates instantly, causing the wart to be destroyed. 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, the high-frequency radio waves disinfect the surgical field and cauterize the blood vessels, eliminating the risk of bleeding.
Which method to choose for treating plantar warts, the patient decides together 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 method:
- inflammatory processes on the skin in the treatment area;
- diabetes;
- infectious, respiratory diseases (ARVI, ARI);
- hypertension;
- exacerbation of herpesvirus infection;
- pregnancy.
The question of the use of the methods of the apparatus 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 health of the baby.