Top 4 Tips to Prevent Warts

Labor Day is a celebration of working men and women, but it also signifies an end to summer. With fall upon us, we are soon going to be hit by a deluge of holidays. The next one up is Halloween, which is still over a month and a half out, but you might want to start thinking about wart prevention if you are going to accompany your children for trick-or-treating. A plantar wart on the bottom of a foot can make long walks and time on your feet rather uncomfortable. Fortunately, we have some wart prevention tips to share!

Preventing these unsightly bumps is important no matter the time of year. Plantar warts are generally harmless and will go away in time but, as mentioned, they can cause discomfort. Also, “go away in time” can take up to a couple of years!

Now, we can provide treatment for a plantar wart, but we’re pretty sure you would rather not grow one in the first place. If you want to reduce your risk, use the following prevention tips:

• Protect your feet. Warts are caused not by frogs or toads, but by certain strands of a common virus known as human papillomavirus (HPV). This virus can reside in places that are damp and warm, so always wear shower shoes or sandals if you are walking in a gym locker room, using a communal shower, or visiting an indoor pool.
• Avoid contact with other warts. One way the virus can be transmitted is by touch, so avoid touching warts on your own body or those on someone else. If you do make contact, be sure to wash the affected areas as soon as possible.
• Keep your feet clean and dry. You won’t completely eliminate the risk of a wart in this way, but you can lower it by adhering to basic hygienic practices. Wash your feet every day with soap and water, and then completely dry them off before putting on your socks and shoes.
• Don’t use contaminated items. Using a nail file or pumice stone on a wart and then using it elsewhere can possibly lead to transferring the virus. Instead, only use disposable items for wart care.

Prevention tips can lower the risk, but warts happen. Most people will grow at least one at some point during his or her life. If you need professional removal of a wart on your foot at our Roseburg, OR office, contact Wilks Advanced Foot Care by calling (541) 673-0742 or via our online form today!