Knowing Your Way Around Warts
Out of the many different types of issues your feet and ankles can develop, there’s one type that has a pretty interesting and unique background. Many common feet and ankle issues, like athlete’s foot or calluses, are due to some external factor causing the condition to develop:
Athlete’s foot - for those who have developed athlete’s foot, it means that their feet have come in contact with a contagious fungus that infects their skin. This fungus is most often found in warm, moist environments.
Calluses - an area of your foot that has developed a callus is likely an area that has dealt with a lot of friction, like tight shoes, or over-use. Calluses form as a defense mechanism to toughen the skin from repeated impact.
Compared to these three examples, there’s a type of foot problem that is caused something internal - a virus! It’s called the human papillomavirus, or HPV. This virus can be transmitted similarly to the way the fungus of athlete’s foot is transmitted - via our bare skin especially when our feet have small cuts, abrasions, or scrapes on them, which allows the virus to easily enter into our bloodstream. The virus also thrives in warm and moist environments, like locker rooms or bathhouses. It also shares similarities to calluses due to the way warts caused by HPV develop on the skin of our feet. Thick, hardened spots are most common and often have little black dots strewn about the hardened areas. The wart itself is painful to walk on and can cause your foot to feel painful overall.
Since warts caused by HPV and athlete’s foot are contracted in similar ways, and because warts have similar symptoms as other foot problems, it’s important to get treated right away.
Contact James C. Ricketti, DPM and let us address all your foot and ankle needs. Our board-certified podiatrist will tailor treatments based on your individual needs and with our state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment options, we’ll help you get back on your feet in no time! Call our office today at 609-587-1674 to make an appointment at our conveniently located Hamilton, NJ office.