Plantar warts (plantar warts) are benign neoplasms caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).They occur mainly in young people and do not pose a particular danger, because their oncogenic level is too low.
But, nevertheless, to eliminate the growth, it is better to consult a dermatologist.Modern instrumental methods of warts are much more effective than Celandine, and even surgical intervention, but they are used exclusively as prescribed by the attending physician.
This therapy reduces the risk of recurrence of the pathological process to a minimum, and also prevents the rooting and proliferation of skin tumors on the soles of the feet.
Cause
Warts are benign skin growths.The appearance of the spine is caused by the penetration of the papilloma virus into the human body, of which there are about 100 types.
After entering the human body, HPV may not reveal itself for a long time, being in a "sleeping" state.But as soon as favorable conditions are created for it, it becomes active and immediately begins to multiply, affecting first the soft tissues, and then the dermis layer, which then leads to the formation of warts.
The "inactive" state of HPV is caused by:
- strong immunity;
- Phagocytosis (a specific protective response that is activated when a pathological agent penetrates the human body).
The risk of HPV infection depends on:
- the condition in which the virus is located in the body of the infected person;
- nature of relationship (direct/indirect);
- immune status of HPV carriers.
People with a weak immune system are most susceptible to papillomatosis.But other factors can also influence the formation of plantar warts:
- constant pressure;
- hard work;
- failure to comply with hygiene regulations;
- body fatigue;
- uncomfortable or tight shoes;
- Wounds, scratches, ulcers on the surface of the skin of the feet.
HPV can enter the human body through:
- using towels or other items owned by virus carriers;
- shake hands.
Factors that are prone to the formation of thorns include:
- increased sweating of the feet;
- frequent contact with household chemicals (even if the washed laundry has been rinsed well);
- injuries that cause disruption of the integrity of the skin of the feet;
- calluses, corns;
- endocrine and cardiovascular system diseases;
- using non-sterile tools for nail care;
- Visit public baths, saunas, swimming pools, beaches.
Human skin consists of several layers, namely:
- epidermis;
- dermis;
- Subcutaneous adipose tissue.
Once in the human body, the papilloma virus infects the basal layer of the epidermis (skin) and begins to actively multiply.Cells affected by the papillomavirus gradually rise through all layers of the epidermis, finally localizing in the stratum corneum epithelium.Therefore, the skin becomes rough and keratin, which forms warts.
Symptoms
The incubation period is different for everyone.On average, it ranges from a few weeks to six months.At this time, the number of cells infected with the virus increases rapidly.But since the HPV type DNA gene that causes plantar warts does not penetrate the cell nucleus, the risk of developing an oncological process is almost completely eliminated.
Plantar warts are hard skin growths that have clear borders and are oval or round in shape.The growth size ranges from 1-2 cm in diameter.The spine has a shaft that goes into the dermis layer, and this is what causes discomfort and pain when walking.It protrudes above the surface of the skin by about 1-3 cm.In this case, the neoplasm may have a normal color, or a light brown or pink color.
In the early stages of the formation of skin growth, the surface is smooth, however, as it "ripens" it becomes rougher, as a result it becomes rough.The color becomes gray-yellow, and a crater-like depression may appear in the center.The appearance of brown dots on the surface of plantar warts is also considered a normal occurrence.They appear as a result of the process of surface capillary thrombosis that occurs in neoplasm tissue.
In most cases, plantar warts are single growths.However, in some situations, the formation of daughter spines is possible, which indicates excessive activity of the papillomavirus.A large number of neoplasms create a specific mosaic pattern in the skin area where they are localized, which is why they are also called "mosaic warts."
Sometimes the spine may disappear on its own, without the need for treatment.At the same time, one has no trace left in the place where it is localized.However, this is not common, because the leg is the place where the tumor is often injured.As a result, self-destruction becomes almost impossible.On the other hand, it can always become inflamed, bleed and cause pain.
What does Plantar look like: Photo
To understand what the spine is on the foot of an adult, you can see the presented photo of plantar warts.
Diagnostics
In most cases, to diagnose plantar warts, it is not necessary to carry out any diagnostic procedure - the diagnosis is based on a visual examination by a dermatologist of the area of the foot affected by the growth.
However, if there is a need to choose a method to remove a skin tumor, a laboratory test of the binding taken from the surface of the spine may be required.
How to Treat Plantar Warts: Basic Principles
Local treatment is often sufficient to treat plantar warts.However, if the virus is too active and the daughter's tumor occurs, the doctor can prescribe systemic therapy based on the use of antiviral drugs and immunomodulators.They help suppress papillomavirus activity and strengthen the immune system, which in turn helps prevent HPV from penetrating deeper and damaging healthy areas of the skin.
However, preference is still given to local treatment, which not only removes the upper part of the spine, but also removes the trunk.But it should be noted right away that the use of well-known folk remedies for warts is often not very successful, so it is better, however, to seek help from a dermatologist, undergo an examination and subsequent treatment.
The most effective and frequently used methods to treat plantar warts include:
- Chemical destruction.With the help of special drugs, skin tumors are reduced, which leads to the destruction of their tissue structure.It is on the properties of certain herbs and medicines that the treatment of thorn with the help of folk remedies is based.
- The use of cytostatic drugs for local use.Products based on 5-fluorouracil, as well as ointments, have the highest effect.
- Freezing plantar warts with liquid nitrogen.This procedure is called cryodestruction.Using a special device where the necessary drugs are filled, the growth is frozen (exposure temperature reaches -220 ° C) and subsequent removal.Manipulation is performed under local anesthesia and requires careful skin care after completion.
- Surgical intervention.In this case, they used the process of scraping off the wart with a special medical device - a Volkmann spoon.It is possible to simply remove the thorn with an ordinary scalpel, but this procedure has long been outdated.
In addition to the manipulations described above, the removal of plantar warts is also carried out using modern instrumental techniques.Among them, the most popular are:
- Laser freezing, which helps remove skin growth in just 1 session.
- Electrocoagulation.Using a special electric scalpel, the spine is carefully removed.After the procedure, small cuts and scars may remain, so it is not used as often as laser freezing.
- Radio wave removal of plantar warts.Manipulation is done through the use of ultrasonic frequencies emitted by drugs.This procedure is similar to cryodestruction or laser freezing.
- Ozone therapy.
Instrumental removal of plantar warts can be supplemented with local therapy, using drugs that have an antiviral effect.The combination of these agents helps to reduce the risk of relapse of the pathological process, increasing the overall effectiveness of the treatment.For this, patients are prescribed interferon ointment or subcutaneous injection, as well as applications.
Before using drugs, a course of treatment is necessary to soften the keratinized layer of the epidermis on the surface of the spine.For this purpose, keratolytics are used, which, however, do not remove the growth itself, so they are not suitable as independent drugs for papillomatosis.You can use not only ointment - most doctors recommend sticking calluses or bactericidal plaster.A few days are enough to soften the wart, after which you can proceed directly to the main treatment.
Since the spine is prone to frequent inflammation, and the risk of secondary infection is too high, patients may need to use antibacterial or anti-inflammatory drugs.However, in this case, a special place is given to local treatment.
Laser removal of plantar warts
Today, one of the most popular and highly effective instrumental methods for removing plantar warts is laser freezing.There are several types of carbon dioxide lasers, which are used to destroy skin tumors.Thanks to this, a separate type of laser is used for each type of growth, which helps to completely remove warts and prevent their appearance in the treated area.
The principle of action of the laser beam is simple.Due to the high temperature, liquid evaporates from plantar wart tissue, resulting in their necrosis.And although this process takes some time, laser freezing allows you to remove an accidental and painful tumor in just 1 procedure.The main advantage of this technique is not the high efficiency, but the almost complete absence of contraindications and side effects.The disadvantage is the high cost of the procedure, so not every patient will be able to afford it.
Only a qualified specialist - a dermatologist - can choose the optimal option for removing the thorn.He will also recommend how to prepare for the procedure, and also tell you the steps to take to prevent plantar warts.
Pharmaceutical products
If plantar warts are not yet rooted and hard, they can also be removed using ready-made solutions and ointments, which are freely available in pharmacies.Each product contains alkali or acid, so you must follow the instructions for using the selected drug.
A good remedy for thorns is salicylic or boric acid, which is used in the form of an ointment or application.
Traditional medicine
The arsenal of traditional medicine also has many recipes that are very effective in combating various types of warts, including plantar warts.But it is not advisable to use them as independent drugs - in most cases they must be combined with pharmaceutical drugs.
Here are the most effective recipes:
- Celandine juice.Perhaps this is one of the most popular and effective folk remedies used to treat various types of skin growths.You only need to treat the growths with fresh juice 2-3 times a day until they disappear completely.
- Garlic juice.This drug has strong antiviral, bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effects.Before using it to treat plantar warts, the growth must first be steamed and cut a little, then lubricated with garlic juice and wrapped with a bandage.Perform daily procedures.The course of treatment is 2-3 weeks.
- Acetic acid.To prepare the medicine, you need to soak the onion in acetic acid for 2-3 hours, then make a compress and secure it with a bandage.Leave overnight.
- Porridge made from Rowan Berries.
However, the most effective medicine in the fight against warts is not drugs, not the aforementioned traditional medicinal recipes, and modern instrumental methods to eliminate them, but a strong immune system.In people whose immune status has undergone a positive change, cases of spontaneous disappearance of skin tumors on the legs have been observed.
You can strengthen the immune system in various ways: sports, walking in the fresh air, proper nutrition, giving up bad habits and, finally, special drugs - immunomodulators.Therefore, a stable and strong immune system is the key to the absolute health of the whole body.
Prevention
The primary prevention of plantar warts is to prevent HPV infection.To do this you need:
- Have individual shoes when visiting public swimming pools, baths, saunas;
- Use exclusively your own towels and personal hygiene products;
- Wear comfortable shoes;
- against sweaty feet;
- Treat any cuts, cracks and even minor scratches on the feet.
For the secondary prevention of plantar warts, it is necessary to strengthen the immune system using antiviral drugs and immunomodulators.It is necessary to start taking the medicines prescribed by the doctor immediately after the procedure to remove the skin tumor, which in itself is stressful for the body.
The therapeutic course must be completed to the end, because its interruption will reduce all the efforts made to zero, so even a qualified specialist cannot eliminate the risk of re-formation of plantar warts.