How Does a Podiatrist Treat it? Warts
How Does a Podiatrist Treat it? Warts
Chances are if you like going barefoot, if you enjoy swimming or if you frequently use public showers, you’ve had a wart on your foot. If you’ve had a wart before, implying you’ve since had it removed, you know it can take a long time and many doctor’s visits to finally vanquish that wart. A question you may be wondering is how your podiatrist can go about treating your warts, which is what we’re going to discuss in the next few paragraphs.
There are many topical solutions aimed at destroying the wart via direct application. These can often be found at your local pharmacy. Depending on which doctor you see, there are plenty of options to rid yourself of those hard-to-treat warts. Many doctors try freezing the warts off with liquid nitrogen (which is negative 320 degrees Fahrenheit). This extreme cold actually burns the wart, causing it to turn black and eventually fall off. If used properly, there should be no scarring with this method.
Doctors also try cutting the warts out in conjunction with electricity or ultrasound. First the area is numbed with medicine, then the physician uses an electrical or ultrasonic device to destroy the wart. After this, the remainder of the wart is removed with a tool called a “curette” (which is like a tiny ice-cream scoop). This technique is likely to cause a scar. A major problem with this method is that the scar can often be painful and there is a good chance the wart will return unless all of it was properly removed.
New technology has enabled doctors to use lasers to destroy warts. This procedure can actually be performed in a podiatrist’s office (provided they have the proper equipment). This is expensive however, and may result in some scarring. Because this is relatively new, it is still largely considered an unproven method.
One of the most common and successful methods is to burn warts off with a mild acid. The acid is applied topically to the wart, and many applications may be required over the course of several weeks to achieve positive results. While this seems excessive, this technique is highly successful.
While some of these treatment options seem brutal, primitive or unlikely to work, each of the discussed methods appears to have their place in medicine. Only you and your doctor can determine what is the best treatment plan to get rid of your warts. As long as the warts are on your feet, don’t hesitate to see your podiatrist to have them taken care of today!
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