Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Remedies For Plantar Warts

Plantar warts are found on the bottom of feet, most often on the heel or ball of a foot, where they are pushed deep into the skin. Though warts can disappear on their own, plantar warts are often painful and may need treatment. Keeping the area dry and surrounding the wart with moleskin will help decrease pain but is not a cure.


Salicylic acid


Salicylic acid is a treatment for plantar warts that can be performed without the aid of a doctor. Before applying the acid, soak the foot for about five minutes and gently rub away any calluses or other loose tissue so the acid can reach the wart. Using this treatment for a long period of time is not advised, so if it does not work within one or two weeks, see a doctor.


Other Home Remedies


Soaking the area for 90 minutes daily in hot water can take several months to cure the wart. You also can treat the wart by applying vitamin A directly on it. This treatment can take between one and nine months to cure the wart. If these remedies prove ineffective, a doctor should be consulted.


Laser Treatment


Doctors are now able to kill the virus inside the wart with lasers. It is very effective and sanitary. However, the cost is high, and some doctors avoid this method because of the high cost. For pulsed dye laser treatment, the cost typically starts at about $360.


Acid


Many doctors will apply a variety of mild acids to the wart to kill the virus and allow healthy cells to regrow. Typically, a layer of acid is applied to the wart and allowed to remain in place for up to a week. After a week, the area is cleaned, and dead cells are cut out of the wart. The acid is reapplied, and the process is repeated until the warts are gone. The entire treatment usually lasts several weeks.


Cryotherapy








Cryotherapy is when the wart is frozen by sodium nitride to kill the virus inside the wart.


Once the virus is dead, the wart will turn dark and rub off in a matter of days. Sometimes this treatment is ineffective on plantar warts because they tend to be deeper in the skin and it is harder to ensure that all of the virus will be killed.

Tags: kill virus, cure wart, inside wart, kill virus inside, months cure, months cure wart, plantar warts