First of all, what is a foot verruca? Verrucas are foot warts, small lumps on the skin caused by a virus. The NHS website says “Verrucas appear on your feet. They have tiny black dots under the hard skin. Warts do not cause you any harm, but some people find them itchy, painful or embarrassing. Verrucas are more likely to be painful – like standing on a needle.”
What happens if you leave a Verruca?
While the human body is quite adept at getting rid of some of its own problems, verrucas are somewhat of an exception. If they are left untreated, their infectious viral nature of them can cause them to spread on the affected area and create something known as a mosaic wart, which is harder to get rid of. Not to mention, they can spread to other people. They also tend to grow, usually up to a centimetre or wider. All of this means the pain and discomfort can stay for longer and get worse.
So, what should you do if you have one?
First of all, in the short term, change your socks daily while you have one, and it might be wise to put a plaster over the affected area, definitely if you plan on swimming. Wash the affected area daily, and wash your hands anytime you touch a verruca. As for what you probably shouldn’t do, try not to scratch or pick at it, this will only irritate it and exacerbate the problem. Walking barefoot is also not the best idea, and definitely not in public or shared spaces.
For somewhat a more serious and pointed solution, make an appointment with your GP, your doctor or a skin specialist, or a dermatologist. They can recommend treatment options like cryotherapy, creams and ointments. Cryotherapy is a very interesting solution, you may have heard the term or words like it before, it involves using extreme cold, usually nitrogen or argon gas, to freeze the verruca. The effectiveness varies, but usually, the verruca will fall off after a few weeks, with a few sessions of cryotherapy. Another option you may be offered is a cream or ointment, which, with the gradual, sustained application, can gradually kill the virus.
No matter what treatment option is available or that you choose, there is no reason to ignore a foot verruca. If there is one thing we believe at Uufey, it’s that no one should have to live in pain and discomfort.