Are you worried about getting plantar warts in your foot? If yes, then we have some useful tips that can help you prevent plantar warts. Plantar warts can be contagious and directly spread through touch. The virus strains can spread directly through touch but grow in wet, warm environments. Learn the best hygiene and lifestyle tips to prevent plantar warts in this article. Log on to www.doralhw.org for a consultation.
Who’s at risk of contracting plantar warts?
While everyone is at risk of developing plantar warts, some people are at a higher risk of developing them, including:
- Children and teenagers
- People with weakened immune systems, such as those with HIV/AIDS.
- People who take medications that suppress the immune system, such as people who suffer from autoimmune disease.
- People over 65.
- White people.
- People who had plantar warts before.
You can also be at risk of plantar warts if you go barefoot in places where wart-causing viruses tend to thrive, such as locker rooms and swimming pools. Outbreaks of plantar warts happen among people who share gym or athletic facilities or who engage in group activities where bare feet are the rule such as yoga and martial arts. Even the shower at home can harbor this virus.
Are plantar warts contagious?
Yes, plantar warts are very contagious as they spread by touching them or by wearing socks, shoes, or towels that have come in contact with them or foster the virus. If you have plantar warts, they can spread easily to other parts of the body if you touch them.
However, the good news is that all the strains of the virus are not highly contagious, so it doesn’t spread easily from person to person via direct contact. But this virus can grow in warm, wet environments like gyms, public pools, saunas, steam rooms, and locker rooms. You can easily pick it up if you walk these places barefoot.
Hygiene and Lifestyle Tips to prevent contracting and spreading plantar warts
Some tips about hygiene and lifestyle can help you prevent contracting and spreading plantar warts include:
Avoid walking barefoot in places where the virus thrives:
One of the best ways to avoid contracting plantar warts is by not walking barefoot, especially in public places such as locker rooms, public showers, or hotel pools, as the virus can enter through small scratches or cuts on the bottom of your feet and cause plantar warts. Viruses can survive for months on hard surfaces waiting for a foot to get infected. You should wear shoes, flip-flops, and sandals in these areas.
Keep your feet clean or dry:
Our feet are powerful and can handle a lot of wear and tear, but improper hygiene and dampness/wetness can significantly affect the skin of the feet. Poor hygiene can cause damaging skin conditions, while wet skin can weaken the outer layers, and make your skin prone to cuts, scratches, and blisters. This allows the HPV (human papillomavirus) to find a way to get inside the foot and cause one or more plantar warts.
For proper hygiene, you must keep your feet clean and dry. Wash your feet regularly with soap and water, and dry them thoroughly, especially between the toes. If your feet sweat a lot, use an antiperspirant or antifungal spray. Keeping your feet dry not only prevents viruses from infecting your skin but also helps you prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi.
Don’t share any personal items:
As warts can spread through direct contact you should avoid sharing personal items like towels, shoes, razors, or nail clippers with others, as this can spread the virus. Wash your towels in hot water and bleach. Use your nail clippers and make sure you disinfect them by rubbing alcohol before and after use. Change the blade of the razors after use. Keeping different sets for things infected and non-infected skin is a wise practice.
Avoid touching or picking warts:
In case you already have a plantar wart, then avoid touching or picking at it. You may end up getting a wart on your finger and trying to dig the wart out at home may cause the wart to spread to other parts of your foot. If you accidentally touch the warts, then wash your hands properly afterward.
Maintain a healthy diet:
Maintaining a healthy diet with adequate vitamins and minerals can strengthen your immune system, which helps to prevent the growth of warts. Eat plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to boost your immune system and keep your skin healthy. Look for multivitamins with adequate vitamin C, vitamin D, and zinc. Take a probiotic that improves your gut health and boosts your immunity.
Change your socks and shoes frequently:
As you ensure your feet stay clean or dry, you should also closely check your footwear including socks because when your feet sweat, shed skin cells and oils, and the warm, closed environment of shoes becomes ideal for the proliferation of bacteria. That’s why you should change your socks every day, perhaps multiple times a day, if you go to the gym, accidentally get them wet, or sweat a lot more than an average person. Shoes have a much longer shelf life than socks, but it’s worth using anti-bacterial spray on your shoes to prevent unhealthy foot scenarios.
Disinfect potential contaminated surfaces:
Regularly washing any body part that may come into contact with a source of infection is essential and clean areas like the shower and bathroom regularly at home to make sure viruses don’t thrive there. Use a disinfected solution or disinfected soap to reduce the risk of the virus spreading.
Plantar warts are very contagious, however, with certain hygiene and lifestyle tips you can prevent plantar warts and live a healthy infection-free life. If you get plantar warts, then seek professional medical help to get them treated and properly follow foot care guidelines for faster recovery time.
If you need help with plantar warts or any other foot problems, visit our podiatry clinic in Brooklyn to get professional medical help. Call us to book your appointment or for inquiries!!! Doral Health & Wellness employs Podiatrists with extensive education and expertise. Trauma to the tendons, muscles, and bones of the foot is quite common, as are infections secondary to systemic diseases. It’s not a promising idea to put off seeing Foot Doctor Brooklyn until you’re in a lot of pain. Our address is 1797 Pitkin Avenue, New York, NY 11212. To make an appointment, please call +1-347-384-5690 or send an email to info@mainwebsite.dialysisny.com.
