Would you like to remove warts on your feet? Your Middleburg Heights and Beachwood, OH, podiatrist, Dr. Ronald Freireich of Cleveland Foot and Ankle Consultants, can help you get rid of the painful growths.
A virus causes warts
A wart forms after you've been exposed to a strain of the human papillomavirus (HPV). The virus finds its way into your skin through a scratch, cut, or even a crack caused by dry skin. Skin cells grow rapidly due to the presence of the virus and soon form a bumpy wart.
Although warts that form on the top of your foot may look rough and bumpy, that's not the case with growths that develop on the soles of your feet. Pressure from walking and standing wears down these warts, known as plantar warts.
You can come in contact with HPV anywhere but are more likely to get a wart on your foot if you:
- Touch a contaminated surface and then touch your foot
- Go barefoot when you walk around public pool decks or locker rooms
- Don't change your shoes and socks when they become sweaty
- Share towels, washcloths, shoes, or socks with someone who has a wart
- Don't wash your feet after you've been in public areas
Wart treatment options
A wart may seem like a minor issue if it's on any other part of your body than your foot. Unfortunately, plantar warts can cause pain with every step you take. Have you been disappointed after trying an over-the-counter wart removal product? The medication in drugstore products usually isn't strong enough to reach the deeper layers of the wart.
If home treatment hasn't gotten rid of your wart, your Middleburg Height and Beachwood, OH, foot doctor offers several effective treatments. He may prescribe a topical medication that you'll use every night to slowly dissolve the wart. Cryotherapy, a treatment that kills the wart cells by freezing them, may also be recommended.
Other wart treatment options include shaving off the wart and killing any remaining wart cells with an electrical current or using laser therapy to destroy the blood vessels leading to the growth.
A visit to your podiatrist in Middleburg Heights and Beachwood, OH, is a must if you have warts. Schedule an appointment by calling Cleveland Foot and Ankle Consultants at (216) 591-1905 for the Beachwood office or (216) 591-1905 for the Middleburg Heights office.