I love summer! I won’t lie, I love to sit around my patio, read a book and swim in my pool. But did you know swimming pools may put you at risk for developing a painful and lesion on your foot.
Plantar warts are skin lesions that develop on the bottom part of the foot. They are caused by the infection of skin cells with the HPV virus. Most cases are in children and young adults.
HPV can live for months on surfaces. The wart virus tends to thrive in warm and moist environments. So places like shower floors, locker rooms and public swimming areas are ideal places for transmission. The virus will enter the skin through small cuts on the bottom of your feet, infecting the skin cells and then resulting in plantar warts a few weeks later.
They often appear to be calluses with small dots under the skin that are very painful when squeezed.
You can reduce your risk of plantar warts this summer by simply following a few suggestions:
- Wear sandals in/around swimming pools,
- Do not share towels, shoes, socks, equipment, or other personal items
- Avoid trauma and maceration of the skin
- Do not share nail files and pumice stones with others
- Avoid walking barefoot
If you have any type of lesion on your foot, call me ! I love treating warts and can do so quickly and WITHOUT pain
