It is normal for parents to become worried when their toddler develops growths on the skin. However, warts frequently appear on children, especially at the bottom of their feet. One of the common warts you can find is plantar warts.
Plantar warts are small and have rough growths on the feet. They are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) and usually enter the body from tiny cuts.
Symptoms of Plantar Warts
Plantar warts look similar to other warts but are deeper in the skin. Some signs that a kid is suffering from plantar warts include:
- Pain or tenderness when standing or walking
- Presence of a small, rough growth on your foot’s bottom, mostly at the toes’ base or on the heel or ball
- Discoloration of the sole into dark pink, brown, gray, yellow, or purple
- Discomfort while walking
- Bleeding
- Presence of black or brown specks
- There is a growth interrupting the normal lines and ridges in the skin of your foot
Causes Of Plantar Warts in Toddlers
Plantar warts are caused by HPV as it enters the body from cuts or breaks in the skin. The HPV strain is commonly present in a warm, moist environment.
Kids who walk barefoot around public shower rooms or pools are at a high risk of contracting plantar warts.
Plantar warts can also be transferred through direct contact with individuals with the virus.
Preventing Plantar Warts
Here are some tips to prevent plantar warts in your children:
- Always keep your kids’ feet dry and clean.
- Ensure your kids do not walk barefoot around public showers and swimming pools.
- Always change your kid’s socks and shoes every day.
- Avoid picking the wart on an affected person to help ensure it does not spread.
- Always clean your hands after touching someone infected to prevent the spread of plantar warts.
Plantar warts grow inward, which can make self-treatment quite hard. Be sure to schedule an appointment with a podiatric physician if:
- The plantar wart is bleeding.
- Your child has a weakened immune system
- Your child is experiencing pain
- The color or the appearance of the wart changes
- You are not sure that your kid is suffering from plantar warts
A podiatric physician can diagnose plantar warts by looking at the affected parts. However, there are cases where a biopsy may be performed so that your medical team can examine it further.
Treating Plantar Warts In A Child
Here are some ways to treat plantar warts:
- Using salicylic acid solution or other medicines on the wart
- By freezing the wart (cryotherapy)
- By cutting out or surgically removing the wart
- Through laser treatments burn off the blood vessels feeding the wart
- Using electrical current on the wart
Plantar warts can become resistant to treatment, and you may need more than one treatment to remove. If you suspect that your child has plantar warts, make sure to visit us as soon as possible. ♦
Podiatrist newsletter article provided by LRW Media. Images provided by Unsplash/Andrew Seaman, Abstral Official, and Japheth Mast.
