What is the Best Wart Treatment?... Identifying it in the first place!

Now that sandal season is upon us, many patients ask, "What is the best treatment for warts?"

Many patients have already tried the over the counter remedies, which include topical salicylic acid, or other topical therapies such as cryotherapy, or liquid nitrogen. The problem with this is that it can be quite painful, and often the question is how effective is it? How do I know when the wart is gone, or more importantly, how do I know it is even a wart in the first place?

This is why it is so important to have any lesion/sore/callus/corn checked out by your podiatrist. You may find that something that you may think is a wart is in fact not, and vice versa. Once it is diagnosed by your podiatrist as truly a wart, then our office has several treatment options that involve proper debridement and inspection with weekly visits until the wart is gone. If there is no improvement after several weeks of treatment, then a biopsy, or sample, may be taken and sent to pathology to identify what is the cause, which may change our treatment plan. For very recalcitrant warts, we even have a laser surgery option.

So, the best treatment for a wart is... identifying it is a wart in the first place. Your podiatrist can help you with that, and can help get rid of it as well.

Beware of warts during vacation or your "staycation"

With spring break here, I have many patients that are taking a trip to a warmer climate, which means visits to swimming pools, or even just doing a "staycation" at the waterpark. Now is when the sandals and open toed shoes are coming out and the boots are slowly going away. One of the most common concerns is how to prevent warts at the water parks or poolside.

Warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). If you are exposed to the virus, you may or may not develope warts, depending on how susceptible you are to the virus.

How to avoid HPV:

Never walk barefoot... and I mean never! The virus thrives on moist surfaces, so wear shower shoes in a public area, locker rooms, saunas, or pool areas.

Keep your feet as dry as possible. This means if your feet tend to sweat a lot, consider changing your socks often or consider wearing socks that are made of a cotton blend that wicks moisture away from your feet.

Do not share towels, socks, or shoes, as the virus may be living on these surfaces as well.

Avoid touching the wart itself... it spreads easily. Keep it covered at all times with either tape or a bandaid.

And if you do suspect that you have the virus... do not self diagnose and self treat! It is best to see a podiatrist who can easily diagnose you and start a proper treatment regimen.

With these precautions, you do not have to be worried that spring break is now hear... enjoy the pool and water parks, just heed good advice.