Warts
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Momentum Foot & Ankle Clinic
Podiatrist & Foot & Ankle Surgeon located in Lombard, IN, Michigan City, IN & Chesterton, IN
Warts, a manifestation of the human papillomavirus (HPV), can grow anywhere on your body, including your feet. By far the most common type of foot warts are plantar warts, which appear on the soles of your feet. At Momentum Foot & Ankle Clinic, top-ranked podiatrist Aamir Mahmood, DPM, offers the best in foot wart diagnosis and care. Because warts often recur, Dr. Mahmood eliminates your warts and then puts preventive measures in place. There are three offices in Michigan City and Chesterton, Indiana, and Lombard, Illinois, so call the one nearest you or click the online scheduling tool now.
Warts Q & A
What are warts?
Warts are skin growths caused by certain strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV). When HPV gets into the top skin layer, usually through a tiny cut, crack, or puncture, it triggers rapid new skin growth.
Warts can grow anywhere, but they’re most common on the hands and feet. Common warts usually grow on the hands, and plantar warts grow on the bottom of the feet.
What are the symptoms of plantar warts?
Plantar warts look quite different from fleshy common warts. They're usually flatter, harder, and rougher in texture.
Because plantar warts are on the soles of your feet, standing and walking pushes them inward. Black spots, which are dried blood from ruptured blood vessels, often appear on plantar warts.
Plantar warts are often very painful, especially in the weight-bearing areas of your heels and the balls of your feet. Untreated plantar warts can spread, creating big clusters of infected skin on your feet.
How do you diagnose plantar warts?
At Momentum Foot & Ankle Clinic, Dr. Mahmood often diagnoses plantar warts with a basic foot exam. If your warts have irregular characteristics that could indicate another type of problem, he may collect a small skin sample for testing.
How do you treat foot warts?
Plantar wart treatment at Momentum Foot & Ankle Clinic emphasizes not just symptom relief but also destroying the virus behind the warts.
Acid treatments
Dr. Mahmood may prescribe topical peeling medicine, an acid that removes the excess skin in layers over time. With this treatment, you usually apply the medication at home every day.
Freezing treatment
Dr. Mahmood can also perform an in-office treatment that freezes off the plantar warts. He applies liquid nitrogen, which brings on a blister around the wart. After about a week, the wart tissue falls off.
There may also be other treatment options, such as laser wart removal. Dr. Mahmood explains each treatment option, and then helps you choose the one that's most likely to end your symptoms while beating the HPV infection.
Put your plantar warts in the past by calling the Momentum Foot & Ankle Clinic office in your area or by clicking on the online appointment booking tool now.
