Australia is a country where different regions have different climatic conditions. The hot air of the subtropical high-pressure belt governs the climate of Australia, making the summer months quite hot and humid. Warts and fungal skin infections are common summer illnesses. Plantar warts appear only on the heels and other weight-bearing areas of the soles. These warts are caused by Human Papillomavirus, which thrives in warm and moist environments. They do not pose a serious health issue but cause much pain and discomfort. Plantar warts treatment in Australia is provided by the podiatry clinics where podiatrists treat and remove these warts.
What Are Plantar Warts?
Plantar warts are cutaneous neoplasms often found as hard and raised areas of skin on the soles and regions around the toes of your feet. They look like miniature cauliflower with tiny black dots. Sometimes they appear as clusters and spread to other areas of the feet. They are common in children, young adults, and people with low immunity. Plantar warts are highly contagious and enter the body through cuts and lesions or by simply walking bare feet on the same floor where an infected person has walked.
Visiting A Podiatrist
If the plantar wart becomes big and painful, it is better to go to a podiatrist. You should never try to treat the wart by yourself, especially if you have any conditions like diabetes that affect your immune system.
Plantar Wart Treatment Options
Salicylic acid
Medications with salicylic acid remove layers of warts that have started to form. It is applied to the wart and surrounding areas until the wart disappears. Layers of the wart are scraped off slowly, and the medication has to be continued for a few weeks or months.
Cryotherapy
Podiatrists use liquid nitrogen or carbon dioxide is used to freeze warts. This treatment is a bit painful, and the podiatrist may numb the area before freezing the wart. Soon a blister forms around the wart, which dries and sloughs off in a few days. Sometimes salicylic acid is combined with chemotherapy to obtain better results.
Immunotherapy
Podiatrists give medicines to stimulate the immune system and make it fight against warts. The medication can be a solution or cream applied to warts or an antigen injected into it. This medicine kills the viruses and stops them from spreading to other areas.
Curettage
Doctors will cut away the wart after numbing the skin. Sometimes an electric needle is used to destroy the wart before cutting it. Curettage is a painful procedure and cannot be performed on children and older people.
Acid-based Treatments
An acid-based medicine is applied to the thick, top surface of the wart to remove it. The surrounding area is covered and protected to avoid damage to the healthy skin. Several visits to the podiatrist are needed to get rid of the wart completely.
Microwave Therapy
Microwave is targeted to specific areas of the feet to remove stubborn and painful warts. In addition, it is beneficial for treating recurrent warts. This treatment is fast, convenient, and effective and allows you to stay active between the treatment sessions.
Plantar warts are not a life-threatening health issue, but it is highly contagious and unsightly. The virus responsible for plantar warts has no cure. Moreover, warts can reappear on the same spot or a new spot. Plantar warts treatment in Australia helps people to get rid of warts and keep their feet healthy. Visit a podiatrist if your feet are affected by plantar warts.
