Plantar Warts

What is a plantar wart?

The plantar surface of your foot is the sole of your foot. A wart that grows into the sole of your foot is called a plantar wart.

How does it occur?

Warts are caused by viruses that are present everywhere. Some people get warts more easily than other people.

What are the symptoms?

You may notice a growth on the undersurface of your foot. It may grow directly into the sole of the foot, it may rise above the surface of the foot, or it may do both. You may have pain when you put weight on your foot.

How is it diagnosed?

Your health care provider will examine the sole of your foot and the wart.

How is it treated?

There are various ways to treat plantar warts. However, the warts are very tough and it is sometimes difficult to treat them so that they go away completely and don't grow back.

Possible treatments include:

• placing medications on top of the wart to help kill the wart virus and remove the wart tissue
• freezing the wart
• burning the wart
• injecting medication into the wart
• surgically removing the wart.

You may get relief from the pain of the wart by wearing a doughnut bandage. This type of bandage surrounds the wart, leaving a hole directly over the wart.

How long will the effects last?

Most plantar warts go away without treatment in 6 months to 2 years, but some do not go away without treatment. It may take months of treatment to cure a plantar wart.

What can I do to prevent plantar warts?

Plantar warts may occur more often in people who often walk barefoot. Wearing shoes or sandals, especially in places like locker rooms, may help prevent plantar warts.