Warts Specialist

Cortez Foot & Ankle Specialists

Podiatry & Foot and Ankle Specialists located in Bradenton, FL & Sarasota, University Park, FL, & Ellenton, FL

Plantar warts, also called verrucas, are often painless but can be uncomfortable if put under pressure. If you have warts on your feet, the team at Cortez Foot & Ankle Specialists can help. The practice has three convenient offices in University Park, Ellenton, and Bradenton, Florida, where you can benefit from the team’s expertise in treating plantar warts. For effective solutions to warts, call the Cortez Foot & Ankle Specialists office nearest you today or request an appointment online.

Warts Q & A

What kind of warts affect the feet?

Plantar warts (verrucas) are the ones most likely to affect your feet. You can get plantar warts at any age, but they’re most common in children.

A plantar wart looks like a tiny callus, but it has a black dot in the middle. They usually come up on the soles of your feet and toes and often go unnoticed because they cause few or no symptoms.

Plantar warts can become uncomfortable when standing or walking if they're in areas of your feet that bear your weight. The discomfort warts cause is usually mild, but you can develop joint and back pain if the warts affect the way you walk.

Where do warts come from?

Plantar warts develop when you get infected with certain strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV). Of the more than 100 strains of HPV, lots are mostly harmless, some cause warts on other parts of your body, and a few are linked to certain cancers.

HPV infection is widespread but very often causes no apparent symptoms. Your immune system could well destroy the virus before it causes much harm, so you could have it and not even know it.

How can I avoid getting warts?

Avoiding warts on your feet depends on following good hygiene practices. You should cover your feet when you’re in a shared changing room and avoid touching anyone’s warts. Wash and dry your feet carefully and change your socks and shoes every day.

Children are particularly likely to get plantar warts. You should help them observe these hygienic practices and check their feet regularly for any signs of warts.

What treatments are available for warts?

One treatment the team at Cortez Foot & Ankle Specialists uses is a wart removal liquid. The liquid needs reapplying to the wart regularly, and it can take some time for your warts to disappear. Another choice for treating warts is cryotherapy, which uses liquid nitrogen to freeze the warts.

Most warts get better using one of these treatments. However, in rare cases, warts that are painful and don’t improve with treatment will need to be surgically removed.

If you have warts on your feet, call Cortez Foot & Ankle Specialists today or request an appointment online.

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