Verrucas are small, raised growths that develop on the soles of the feet. Characterized by small black dots in the middle, these warts are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV) and are not at all uncommon.
Over 150 different types of HPV can cause verrucas, but HPV 1, 2, 4, 27 and 57 are most commonly responsible. HPV 3 and 10 cause flat warts, meanwhile. No matter which strain infects you, verrucas can have a long incubation period and might not show up for a long time after you catch the virus. Getting rid of them can also, unfortunately, take a long time.
Verrucas: The Basics
Verrucas are, in short, nasty warts that appear on the soles of the feet. They are also called plantar warts for that reason. Caused by HPV, verrucas are incredibly contagious. Skin-to-skin contact may be responsible for verrucas, but you can also catch the virus from contact with any surface an infected person has previously touched — like gyms, the area around swimming pools, or your own shower.
The Human Papilloma Virus can have a long incubation period, and verrucas may not develop for weeks, months, or even years following initial contact. When verrucas do rear their ugly head, you will most probably recognize them almost instantly.
The fact that your feet carry your entire body weight usually means that any verrucas you develop are pushed inwards, but plantar warts do occasionally grow outwards. Verrucas can be painless, mildly uncomfortable, or extremely painful, depending on their precise locations and size.
People with underdeveloped or weak immune systems are particularly vulnerable to verrucas. These groups include children, the elderly, and people with certain diseases — including HIV. However, developing a verruca doesn't mean you have a weak immune system in itself; up to 12 percent of the population will have a verruca at any given time.
A quick clinical examination will confirm the diagnosis. Once you are diagnosed, you have multiple treatment options. Expectant management, more simply described as "monitoring the verrucas but not treating them" is an option for those who do not experience their verrucas as painful.
See Also: Don't Suffer With Painful Ugly Corns On Your Feet
Before you decide to leave your verrucas alone, remember they are very contagious indeed. Members of your household will be quite likely to develop them as well, but there's more: you can infect your hands or genitals through direct contact with the verrucas, and this means you could develop warts on your hands too. HPV also causes genital warts, and the same strains can cause warts to appear on the face. However, these are different strains and contact with a verruca will not generally lead to genital warts.
Treating Verrucas
People with verrucas have three basic treatment options: over-the-counter methods, doctor-administered methods, and expectant management. All these options have advantages and disadvantages, and there is no single treatment that is guaranteed to rid you of your verrucas forever. Expectant management is not something we'd advise, due to the contagious nature of the virus. Treatment may be an ongoing process, and verrucas can return even after they completely disappear.
What Your Doctor Can Do
Cryotherapy, in which warts are frozen with liquid nitrogen, is the gold standard in verruca treatment. Your family doctor can spray your verrucas with liquid nitrogen to destroy the skin cells affected by the human papilloma virus, or may use a stick to apply the nitrogen. This treatment is quite uncomfortable and takes between five and 15 minutes. Your foot will hurt after the treatment, and a blister will form the next day.
Approximately a week later, the treated cells will detach from the body. Small verrucas may be gone completely after one treatment, while larger ones will require several sessions.
Surgery is not usually recommended for verrucas, but it may be the only option for patients who did not respond to other treatments or for those who have a large number of verrucas.
Home Treatments
A form of cryotherapy that uses dimethyl-ether or propane is available over the counter in most countries. This method sprays verrucas with an extremely cold solution as well, but temperatures are significantly milder compared to liquid nitrogen. Some patients have success removing their verrucas and other warts with this treatment, but it does not work for everyone.
Salicylic acid is the active ingredient in most other home treatments for verrucas and other warts. These treatments come in many forms:
- Gel
- Paint
- Plasters
- Creams
This may give patients the impression that the treatment can't possibly work as well, but I finally got rid of my verrucas using salicylic acid after trying both liquid nitrogen and at-home freezing techniques.
You may be surprised that the British National Health Service (NHS) discusses applying duct tape as a home treatment for verrucas. Though they admit there is little clinical evidence this method kills warts, they describe how patients can attempt it at home.
The NHS website suggests patients place "a piece of duct tape over your wart for about six days". They add: "If the tape falls off, simply replace it with a fresh piece. After six days, remove the tape and soak the wart in water."
Finally, an alternative method that is often suggested is soaking verrucas in copious amounts of apple cider vinegar. This dries the warts out, and will hopefully trigger them to fall off.
See Also: Thirteen Natural Home Remedies for Warts Removal
Preventing Verrucas
Preventing verrucas is, fortunately, relatively simple: always wear slippers or flip-flops when you walk around communal sports areas or spas. If you currently have verrucas, you can help keep others in your household wart-free by wearing slippers or socks at all times.
Sources & Links
- Photo courtesy of Mirko Fontemaggi by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/mirkenhauer/3099081998/
- Photo courtesy of Mndno by Wikimedia Commons : commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Verruca_vulgaris_on_the_first_toe.jpg