 Warts are a viral infection
that invades the foot thru
microscopic breaks or wounds
in the skin. With time the wart
grows into a rough hard growth
on the skin. Plantar warts are the
most common type of wart and
are found on the bottom of the
foot, but warts can appear
anywhere on the foot.
They can appear as a single
round lesion, or as a cluster
of lesions, which are caused
Mosaic warts. They are very
painful especially when they
are squeezed from their sides.
Contrary to the old wive's tale,
they are not caused by touching
frogs, and for the most part,
tend to be seasonal, generally
appearing in the months of
October, November and December;
this is because warts spread
in places like public pools
and showers during the summer
months, and it takes
approximately
three months for the virus to
grow, once it invades your
foot. They can also be passed
from person to person in
the same household.
There are over 200 different
treatments for warts. Conservative
treatment can include by not
limited to acid treatments,
orthotic therapy, ultra sound,
curettage and vitamin supplements.
If that fails, the present
state of the art treatment
is use of the CO2 Surgical Laser.
The major benefit
of laser surgery in warts as
compared with traditional wart
surgery is that healing
time appears to be improved
with the laser. Because the
laser is a precise tool, it causes
less swelling, less tissue damage,
and minimal bleeding, patients
seem to heal quicker with less
pain and less post operative
infections. But regardless of who
treats it and how it is treated warts
can always
reappear.
The main thing to remember about
a wart is that it should receive
immediate attention. If it is ignored,
it may spread to other parts
of the body, and since warts
are extremely painful, it is
best to check this condition in
its earliest stages.
It is also very common for Calluses
and Corns to be misdiagnosis
as warts, and vice versa. Calluses
are treated totally differently
from warts and that is why it is
vital to get the proper evaluation
from a specialist who knows
all about them.
For your information, Dr.
Burton Schuler co-authored and
published an article in the Journal
of the American Podiatry
Association in May 1975 (yeps!)
There are many highly successful
non surgical treatments for
warts that gives long
term relief.
Foot surgery for warts if
desired and needed is done
using the CO2 Laser in the
comfort and privacy
of the our Clinic.
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