Dehydration and Gout Pain: Understanding the Link
If you’re among the millions of Americans who deal with painful gout attacks, you know that minimizing the pain is a priority. One way to do this is to make sure that you avoid becoming dehydrated.
4 Strategies to Prevent Plantar Warts
From a medical standpoint, plantar warts aren’t exactly a huge issue. However, from a comfort standpoint, plantar warts are far more problematic, especially since they form on weight-bearing areas on the soles of your feet.
These common growths — plantar warts develop in about 10% of the general population — are contagious, so there are some steps you can take to avoid getting them in the first place.
In this month’s blog post, our team of podiatry specialists at Neuhaus Foot and Ankle presents four steps for preventing plantar warts. We’ll also quickly outline how we treat plantar warts should they develop despite your best evasive efforts.
1. Take extra care around locker rooms and swimming pools
Plantar warts are a result of a viral infection, namely human papillomavirus (HPV). There are more than 100 different HPV strains, but only a few are associated with warts. Those strains love nothing more than lying in wait in warm, moist environments, such as swimming pools and locker rooms.
An interesting study of teams of swimmers in Greece found that 36.5% of the swimmers dealt with plantar warts. This higher rate of infection reflects the fact that the virus thrives in warm and wet environments, as well as the fact that there are many bare feet in these settings.
So, if you spend time around a public pool or locker room, please protect your feet and wear flip-flops whenever you’re out of the water or in the showers.
2. Keep your feet and gear dry
Any time your feet get wet or sweaty, it’s important that they dry out as soon as possible. This means swapping out sweaty socks, using only clean and dry towels on your feet, and making sure that you air out your shoes in between use.
3. Watch out for dry and cracked skin
Your feet have tough skin, and it’s not uncommon for this skin to become dry and cracked. When this happens, it’s easier for HPV to gain access to your body through these cracks. So, while you diligently apply moisturizer to your face and hands, we recommend continuing this practice down to your feet.
Even better, each night before you go to bed, gently wash, dry, and moisturize your feet.
4. Don’t share clippers
Have your own set of nail clippers, files, and any other tools you use on your feet. Don’t share these tools, and make sure to disinfect them regularly — you can use a microbial soap or boiling hot water.
Treating plantar warts
If you develop plantar warts, the good news is that we can quickly rid your feet of these uncomfortable growths. We offer several plantar warts treatments, including:
- Injections that target the virus
- Cryotherapy — we use liquid nitrogen to freeze off your warts
- Prescription-strength topical salicylic acid/cantharone medications
- Laser treatments that cut off the blood supply to the warts
- In-office surgical excision
So, while prevention is best when it comes to plantar warts, rest assured, we’ve got you covered should they pop up.
If you have more questions or concerns about preventing plantar warts, we’re happy to help. Simply contact one of our 16 locations in Tennessee to schedule an appointment.
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