Summer brings us outdoors for fun; something all of us need this year more than ever. The warm weather also means walking in bare feet or sandals, at beaches, around swimming pools, and in locker rooms.
It also means lots of other folks’ bare feet were walking around these areas before you do.
In turn, that means an increased likelihood of coming into contact with the moisture and warmth-loving viruses that cause foot warts.
The number of cases of foot warts that we see increases every summer.
The most common foot warts we treat are called plantar warts that develop on the bottom of the foot.
In addition to being embarrassing and unsightly, plantar warts can make standing downright painful and turn every step into an uncomfortable experience.
While plantar warts sometimes clear up on their own, professional treatment is often required to fully resolve many cases.
Why Are There More Cases of Plantar Warts During The Summer?
Plantar warts appear on the soles or bottom of feet because of a virus – primarily the human papillomavirus (HPV) – that works its way through the skin through tiny cuts or scrapes.
Plantar warts appear like small, bumpy growths that sometimes have tiny black dots on the surface. A callus may build up over the wart as well.
As with other highly contagious foot conditions like athlete’s foot, plantar warts often spread through highly trafficked, wet environments and surfaces like swimming pools, beaches, locker rooms, and showers.
That is why summer is prime time for foot warts.
How To Properly Treat Plantar Warts
Over-the-counter remedies for plantar warts, such as topical treatments with salicylic acid in the form of ointments, gels, or lotions, only work about 50% of the time.
When these efforts don’t work, a great option is cryotherapy performed by an experienced podiatrist.
Safe, effective, painless, and non-invasive, cryotherapy involves applying extreme cold to the targeted tissue to resolve troublesome foot issues like plantar warts.
Cryotherapy treatment freezes and kills the tissue to destroy warts. Because the liquid we use is extremely cold, we sometimes also apply a numbing agent to keep our patients more comfortable.
We then use a probe, spray, or cotton swab to administer the freezing application. The whole treatment lasts just a few minutes.
To ensure that the warts are destroyed and incapable of spreading, we require every patient to come in for a follow-up appointment.
Most of the time, cryotherapy by itself is enough to eliminate the warts entirely. In cases of recurrence, we also offer laser wart removal treatments for our patients.
Your Foot and Ankle Specialists!
Summer fun brings with it summer foot risks, including plantar warts.
The dedicated and experienced podiatrists at JAWS Podiatry in Hollywood, Florida can help you get back on your feet and back to your life when issues like plantar warts arise.
To learn more about cryotherapy or other treatments for plantar warts, please submit an inquiry or call our teams at 954-922-7333. We look forward to meeting you!
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