It is not uncommon for us to develop ailments and complications on our feet as we walk through life. After all, our feet are constantly moving, exposing themselves to new environments and possible overexertion. Although some conditions are always taken seriously, some are more often overlooked. Developing a verruca is one of the conditions that people tend to neglect, assuming that they won’t carry any real danger.

So…..What is a verruca?

Sometimes people might find that they have small warts at the bottom of their toes or feet. These are called verrucas or plantar warts. It is normal for a tiny black spot to appear on the skin’s surface.

An…..What causes a verruca?

So many people might find a verruca on their feet and not give it a second thought. However, these tiny plantar warts are caused by a virus, meaning that contact with contaminated surfaces or skin can spread the condition. The troublesome issue with this virus is that verrucas might take months to appear after exposure. This means that the virus could be very widespread before any signs of plantar warts begin to appear.

Seven reasons why you should not ignore a verruca on your foot

Although these little warts might be painful at times, many people prefer to forget about them, thinking they’ll disappear when the time is right. However, these plantar warts can have detrimental effects on our health and foot care routines.

Here are the seven reasons why verrucas shouldn’t be ignored:

1.   There are over-the-counter treatments available

Perhaps the most convincing reason for not ignoring verrucas is the widely accessible range of treatments. Instead of sitting with a plantar wart that can cause discomfort and pain, have it treated quickly and easily.

2.   Podiatrists can administer excellent treatments

Although there are several over-the-counter treatments for verruca today, it is a good idea to talk to your podiatrist about better treatment options. These may include:

• Swift microwave treatment

This treatment involves the heating of a probe that is microwave emitting. This treatment is highly effective at treating verrucas instantly.

• Verruca needling

During this treatment, a podiatrist will puncture the verruca with a needle that has been sterilized. The benefit of this treatment is that puncturing the verruca brings the virus in direct contact with your immune regulators, so your body will rid itself of the virus.

• Cryotherapy

This treatment involves freezing the infected cells. This is also a fast and effective way to deal with verruca infections.

• Acidic treatments

Although this treatment might sound painful, it is one of the most popular forms of treating verruca infections. It involves several treatments of acid applied to the infected area.

3.   Your infection might spread

The most troubling aspect of verruca infections is that they can spread quickly. In fact, if you have a verruca infection and you touch the infected area, any part of your foot that you touch could be infected. This way, you could have multiple verruca infections on your feet.

Additionally, it is contagious to other people. For example, if you share a shower with family members, they are at risk of catching a verruca infection. Using a public swimming pool with a verruca infection, for example, can offer significant risk to several people visiting the pool.

Although it is possible to minimize the spread of infection with the help of flip-flops or a towel, the risk remains. Therefore, it is better to have any verruca infection treated.

4.   The infection can dampen your activity

Since a verruca infection forms on the bottom of the toes or feet, staying active can be uncomfortable and painful. Ignoring the condition can lead to a worsened state that can result in discomfort whenever activities that require movement are done. So, treating your infection early decreases the odds of experiencing pain while being active later.

5.   A verruca can cause joint or muscle issues

Since the infection can cause significant discomfort in the foot, people might want to adapt their usual walking method to minimize pain. However, this can have a very detrimental effect on the feet, ankles, and legs in the long run. Changing the way you would generally walk to minimize the pressure you put on a specific area of the foot results in unnatural movement of your joints, tendons, and muscles. This increases the odds of an injury, too.

6.   A single infection can multiply

After all, many people might feel that having one verruca isn’t a big deal because it is only one little plantar wart. However, these tiny warts can multiply, leading to several verruca infections on the feet. Having multiple verruca infections can be very uncomfortable. If someone has various infections on the feet, there is little doubt that the person’s activity will significantly decline. This can have a long-term detrimental effect on overall health and happiness.

7.   Verruca infections can worsen quickly

Understandably, someone might think, “Oh, this is just a little spot on the bottom of my foot. It doesn’t cause too much pain or discomfort, so it doesn’t need to be treated.” However, this is the wrong way of looking at verruca infections. These tiny warts can grow and worsen by the day, causing more significant discomfort. In fact, if left untreated, these warts can become hard to the touch, growing up to a centimetre in size.

Another disturbing fact about leaving verrucas until they become worse is that the recovery time becomes much longer. If a verruca infection is treated immediately, it will quickly be cured. However, treatment can be gruelling and slow if it is ignored to the point where it is excruciating and large.

Conclusion

As we go through life, our bodies are exposed to several viruses. Unfortunately, some of these cause complications that should not be ignored. Although it is not uncommon to think that it is acceptable to ignore a verruca infection, it can be a decision that you may regret if your infection begins to spread or worsen. Therefore, talk to your podiatrist about the best form of treatment against verruca infections today.