Protection for Plantar Warts Is Possible

On September 7, the Heritage Center in Reading is celebrating Grandparents Day. Bring your grandkids out to the Heritage Center grounds for a scavenger hunt and a gentle walk along the Union Canal Towpath. Just make sure everyone wears appropriate shoes so they don’t scrape or injure their feet. Children bounce back from minor scrapes and bruises easily, but breaks in the skin can make feet vulnerable to plantar warts. They aren’t dangerous, but they can be uncomfortable and hard to get rid of, so it’s better to prevent them if you can!

Warts are caused by a virus that gets into your skin and causes a benign growth to develop. The virus is contagious and thrives in warm, damp environments, so keep your feet clean and dry. Wash your lower limbs every day and dry them thoroughly afterwards. Use fitted, moisture-wicking socks to draw sweat away from your skin, too.

Make sure you don’t share towels, footwear, or pedicure tools with people who have warts on their feet. The virus can easily pass from the skin to surrounding surfaces and still be infectious, so sharing can expose you to the pathogen. Pumice stones are the worst for this—the infected skin becomes trapped in the porous stone and spreads the virus easily. You should also wear shower shoes or sandals in public bathrooms or at pools, since the virus may linger on the moist floors.

Make sure you take care of and cover cuts and scrapes on your lower limbs, particularly on your soles. If you do develop the growth, don’t touch it or pick at it. You risk spreading plantar warts elsewhere on your feet as well as to your family. Instead, invest in proper wart treatment to eliminate the growth.

In some cases it may be impossible to entirely prevent plantar warts; however, you can take steps to minimize your chances of developing one. Keep your lower limbs clean and covered to make it less likely that pathogens can embed in your skin. If you’re concerned about developing skin growths, or would like one you already have eliminated, just let us know at West Lawn Podiatry Associates, serving Reading and West Lawn, PA. Call (610) 678-4581 or send us an online request to make an appointment with us.

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