Staying Healthy with Diabetes

A wart on the bottom of your foot is known as a plantar wart. While these warts usually aren't medically dangerous, and they're not embarrassing since they're hidden, they can be a big problem if they make walking painful. If the wart is on your heel or ball of your foot where you place most of your weight when walking, the wart may interfere with your ability to go about your usual activities. The solution is to see a podiatrist and have the wart removed. Here are a few things to know about removing plantar warts.

Get A Correct Diagnosis

It's a good idea to let a podiatrist diagnose your wart rather than assume the growth on your foot is a plantar wart. Your foot can develop other types of growths too, including cancerous lesions. For that reason, it could be dangerous for you to self-diagnose your condition and begin home treatments. You might do more harm than good if you have something other than a wart. At the very least, you'll delay getting proper treatment for your foot condition.

Avoid Home Remedies

Also, you probably don't want to waste time on home remedies for warts when the growth is on your foot and causing you problems. These remedies may work for other types of warts, but they may not be effective on your foot. For instance, one remedy is to wrap your skin in duct tape to seal the wart until it falls off, but you may not get a good enough seal on the bottom of your foot since your foot sweats and walking loosens the tape. If you do want to try some home remedies first, you should consider seeing a podiatrist if you don't get results quickly. Warts are contagious, and you don't want to spread them to anyone else in your family. It's better to get rid of your wart quickly rather than waste time on ineffective remedies.

Undergo Wart Removal

The fastest way to get rid of a plantar wart is to let your podiatrist cut, freeze, or burn it off. When you undergo treatment, the wart is killed or removed. If you get a treatment such as freezing where the wart is killed, but left on your skin, you'll have to wait a few days for the wart to slough off after you've gone home. If you have a stubborn wart, you may need more than one treatment session. Once your wart is gone, there's no guarantee it won't come back, but at least you'll be able to walk without pain once your foot has healed. After your wart has been removed, you may never have another outbreak, but if you have an impaired immune system, you may deal with warts coming and going for the long-term. In that case, your podiatrist can use additional treatments that reduce the risk of future problems with plantar warts.

Also, if you are diabetic, it's a good idea to call your podiatrist at the first sign of a bump on your foot. With reduced circulation and sensation in your feet, you definitely don't want to treat a wart at home. As a diabetic, you'll need close monitoring and special care to keep your foot from developing an infection due to the wart or its treatment. Visit a clinic like Better Foot Care Ohio for more information.