Its that time of year again when we see an increase in the number of verrucae coming through our clinic doors. Is it because of swimming pools on holiday, more sports over the summer, or the lack of socks in warmer weather? We aren’t sure, but we often see peoples anxiety over these pesky warts.

Verrucae are warts, on the foot, and are caused by a virus. People have mixed reactions to them, but usually they are quite motivated to get rid of them, especially if they are causing them pain. Verrucae come in many shapes and sizes, and can be pain free, or make every step unbearable in the worst cases.

Painful verruca are usually painful because of the build up in extra skin that they cause. Taking the extra skin away with a scalpel can immediately reduce the pain, and is often the first thing a podiatrist will do with painful verrucae.

Painless verruca need to be considered as to whether treatment is wise. Most treatments are based upon increasing blood flow to the area, by using caustics, cryotherapy or other methods. If the verruca is painless then it can often be wise to leave the verruca alone, because at some point verruca will resolve of their own accord, it may take a month, 6 months, or 6 years, but at some point the verruca will respond.

If you have a verruca, pop in to see a podiatrist to have it confirmed as a diagnosis, and all of the treatment options (if appropriate) can be explained. Treatments can vary massively, and one that suits your circumstances can usually be found.

By | 2014-09-19T16:51:20+00:00 September 9th, 2014|Blog|0 Comments