What are they, how did I get them and most importantly, how can I get rid of them!
So you have some odd looking bumps on your feet that are painful when you squeeze them. Well could well be verrucae, also known as plantar warts or mosaic warts. They are very easily spread and very common in teenagers, plus quite often will disappear of their own accord.
What's happened?
Verrucae (Warts) occur when cells within your feet (or hands) have become infected with the human papilloma virus (HPV). The virus is most commonly spread by scratching/picking and direct skin-to-skin contact, so if a wart is scratched or picked at then another wart may develop under the fingernail (subungual wart) or be spread to another area of foot.
So anywhere that you may be walking around barefoot, amongst others that are also barefoot, could potentially be where you could pick it up. A small scratch on the bottom of your foot is all the virus needs to gain access to your body.
Exercise and Eating Healthy Food will help
As with many viruses, if you keep yourself healthy through exercise and a good diet then your body should be able to fight the virus and in time beat it into submission. The first line of any verrucae treatment is for the patient to build up their immune system. Stopping smoking and drinking alcohol, eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, plus regular exercise - your body is key in fighting the virus!
Verrucae Treatment
A wide range of treatments are available, though all are based upon the destruction and removal of the infected tissue, followed by regeneration of normal healthy tissue. There is no verrucae treatment that is guaranteed to work, unless of course you consider a foot amputation as an acceptable treatment! Your podiatrist is likely to offer a choice of options and discuss with you the benefits of each.
I think I have verrucae on my feet - Next steps..
If you are young and healthy, they are not painful, and you are able to keep your feet covered when in communal areas, then it is likely that the verrucae will disappear on there own within a year. If not, then visit a podiatrist. They will firstly provide a diagnosis, and confirm whether you do have verrucae or not (it may be a corn, callus, or something more serious), then be able to help you in offering treatment.
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