Spike on the foot - causes and treatment

Calluses, small abrasions on the heels, corns - all this can cause slight discomfort to its owner. However, if the neoplasm causes acute pain when walking, you should think about it and immediately consult a doctor. There is a possibility of symptoms such as a thorn on the foot - a type of wart that is often localized on the heels or toes and requires long-term treatment.

What is a tip

Plantar wart, goose, or in Latin verruca plantaris - this is what experienced doctors call a neoplasm that resembles a corn in appearance, but causes a painful tingling sensation when walking. Spike is considered a type of wart with a radicular method of attachment in the deep layers of the skin. A small accumulation can be cured by folk methods, and only methods of freezing, laser removal and electrocoagulation will help to completely remove the thorn on the foot.

Deeply embedded in the skin, goose touches and injures nerve endings, and can cause cracks on the surface of the foot and inflammation. Skin growths are mainly localized on the skin of the feet, heels, toes or hands, but sometimes sensitive areas of the body are also susceptible to infection with the virus: face, neck, ankles. Like any other wart, a thorn on the foot is a benign growth, but if not treated properly, it can develop into a malignant tumor.

Features of Education

As a rule, the diameter of the plantar wart varies within 1-2 centimeters, but sometimes the size of the neoplasm can reach 4-5 cm. In the photo, the tip on the foot looks like a round or oval dry callus with clear borders. When touched, the formation is very dense and painful. Under the microscope, black-brown dots can be seen in the middle of the spine. If you carefully examine the growth after steaming the legs, you can see threads on the surface of the spines that have grown in all layers of the skin.

The first signs of appearance

At the beginning of development, the spike on the foot looks like a dry callus with a hardened crust. However, if not treated properly, the neoplasm enlarges, changes color, becomes uneven, and a small hole forms in the center through which the rod is clearly visible. When pressing on the foot there is a sharp pain, as if needles or thorns were stuck in the foot. If the neoplasm is not removed immediately, new growths may appear nearby over time.

How an infection occurs

A plantar wart is a viral disease that can be spread through an open sore on the sole of the foot, through contact with a sick person, or through shared objects. Bacteria thrive in a humid environment, so people with excessive sweating of their feet tend to develop thorns. Very often infection occurs after visiting swimming pools, showers and gyms. To prevent the occurrence of a plantar wart, doctors recommend that you always have personal hygiene products and bathing shoes with you.

Causes of Plantar Warts

It provokes a spike at the foot of the human papillomavirus, which is present even in a healthy body. However, when certain conditions are created, bacteria begin to actively multiply, provoking skin lesions. The risk is especially high in people with weakened immunity, pregnant women and children. A spike on the foot occurs as a result of regular rubbing of the foot in tight shoes due to congenital or acquired deviations in the structure of the skeleton, for example, clubfoot. Also among the factors provoking the development of the virus in the body are:

• excessive sweating of the palms, interdigital space, feet;
• constant stress, overwork, lack of sleep;
• injuries, wounds or burns to the skin of the legs or hands;
• exacerbation of chronic diseases;
• Infectious and viral diseases - influenza, SARS, tonsillitis;
• wearing uncomfortable or tight shoes;
• flat feet;
• avitaminosis;
• overweight.

How to get rid of a thorn

If a suspicious formation appears on the soles of the feet, you should not delay a visit to the doctor. The sooner the correct diagnosis is made and treatment is started, the lower the risk of the mastoids growing deep into the soft tissues. There are several methods of treating papillomas: physical impact on the wart, surgery, removal of growths with chemicals, complex therapy to increase immunity. Minimally invasive methods are particularly popular.

Physical effect on the wart

Removal of papillomas with a scalpel is rarely used today, since this method does not give a 100% guarantee of getting rid of the problem. The remaining processes in the layers of the skin can provoke a relapse and even greater growth of neoplasms. This treatment method is acceptable when all other options are unavailable. The operation is performed under local anesthesia, followed by a long rehabilitation period.

chemical methods

This option is considered one of the best in the conservative treatment of the spinal cord. Aggressive substances that are part of some drugs, getting on the affected areas of the skin, cause cell necrosis, after which the keratinized particles are easily removed mechanically. It is worth noting that this option is painful and can provoke the appearance of scars and scars on the body. There are several types of preparations with a chemical composition:

• With a necrotic effect - due to very aggressive components, they provoke mummification of the surface of the skin. Such drugs are categorically contraindicated during pregnancy and for the treatment of a child.
• Keratolytics – active ingredients that gently remove dead skin cells and soften rough skin. In combination with other drugs, they enhance their effect and contribute to the deep penetration of active substances. Keratolytic drugs include: ointments and solutions with acids, urea-based plasters.
• With a cryogenic effect - they act like a cryodestruction procedure, freezing and stopping the growth of papillomas.

immunotherapy

For a speedy recovery, in addition to local remedies, doctors recommend the use of drugs that stimulate the immune system. For this, immunostimulants are prescribed. At home, immunotherapy consists in normalizing the diet. The menu should include more fresh fruits, vegetables and juices. In addition, you can engage in light sports - swimming, running, cycling.

How to remove a spike on the leg at home

It can be difficult to heal a thorn with simple means. The whole difficulty is to remove the roots of a benign neoplasm, otherwise the problem will recur in the future. If you are worried about the thorn on the foot, special preparations will help to remove it:

• Ointment with salicylic acid - a remedy for external use. It has an antiviral and anti-inflammatory effect. The ointment should be applied thinly to the pre-steamed and dried skin. An occlusive bandage can be applied from above to increase the effect. It is necessary to carry out the procedure until the papilloma completely disappears 1 time per day. If desired, the ointment can be replaced with special plasters or a preparation based on salicylic and lactic acids.
• Ointment with interferon alfa-2b is a drug that has antiviral and immunomodulatory effects. The ointment is applied to the lesions in a thin layer 3-4 times a day. The duration of treatment is 4-7 days. Contraindications are: individual intolerance to the components and children's age up to a year.
• A special stick is a silver-containing preparation with an antiseptic effect. The surface of the stick is wetted with water, after which the product is applied to the damaged skin without affecting the healthy epidermis. The pencil should not be used during pregnancy, to treat children with the appearance of papillomas on the neck or face.
• Liquid developed on the basis of a mixture of strong alkalis. Before use, healthy skin around the papilloma must be lubricated with a greasy cream, after which a drop of the solution is applied exactly in the middle of the growth. The treatment is carried out until the plantar wart is completely burned off. It is worth noting that the procedure is very painful, causing itching and burning.
• A local agent based on isotretinoin. Belongs to the group of keratolytics, is available in the form of tablets. Capsules are taken orally with meals at a dose of 0. 5-1 mg/kg for up to four months. The drug is contraindicated in pregnancy. With caution, you can drink pills for diabetes, obesity, renal and hepatic insufficiency.
• Keratolytic ointment for the treatment of advanced plantar warts. When applied to the skin, the product's active ingredients destroy the neurological connection between dead cells. The product is made on the basis of urea, salicylic acid, citric acid and lactic acid. Sometimes there may be side effects in the form of burning, itching and reddening of the skin at the application site.
• Fluid based on phenol and tricresol with mummifying effect. The application procedure is the same as the treatment with an alkaline solution. The drug is contraindicated in the presence of birthmarks next to the papilloma, in case of hypersensitivity and in children under 7 years old.

How to remove a spike on a foot

If the plantar wart has grown deep into the skin, regular topical creams, solutions, and ointments are unlikely to help. In such situations, doctors recommend resorting to minimally invasive methods of wart removal: electrocoagulation, laser removal by freezing liquid nitrogen - cryodestruction. These methods not only help remove the thorn on the foot, but also prevent it from reappearing in the future.

cryo destruction

Burning the wart and its rhizomes with liquid nitrogen. Under the influence of cold, the body of the papilloma is destroyed, the area of inflammation decreases, and more viruses and bacteria die. A small blister remains at the site of the operation, which disappears by itself after one and a half to two weeks. The procedure is performed without anesthetic and does not cause pain. The disadvantages of the operation are a long recovery time and the possibility of injuring the skin next to the wart. You cannot undergo the procedure of cryodestruction for cancer.

electrocoagulation

This method shows good results only in the initial stages of the appearance of spikes, when the threadlike roots did not have time to hit a large part of the foot. The papilloma is removed when the skin is exposed to high-frequency electrical pulses, which burn out the spike on the foot and its rhizome. The disadvantages of such an operation are pain: after the procedure, a bleeding wound remains on the body. Scarring can sometimes occur after electric current removal.

Pulsed laser treatment

One of the most popular and sought after treatments for plantar warts. Removal occurs under the influence of a laser beam, which simultaneously cauterizes the papilloma and disinfects the skin surface at the surgical site. The method of laser treatment does not cause complications, after the procedure patients are quickly rehabilitated, the possibility of renewed growth of spikes on the foot is completely excluded. The only disadvantage of this method is the high cost of the operation.

Spike on the leg - treatment with folk remedies

Along with complex drug treatment at home, plantar warts can be removed using traditional medicine. There are several effective recipes for getting rid of thorns on the feet, palms and toes:

1. The sting on the heel will pass if you regularly apply a nettle compress to the sore spot. To prepare, finely chop the nettle leaves, wrap in a clean burdock leaf, fix with a plaster. Put a sock over your foot and leave the compress on overnight. The duration of such therapy is 3-4 sessions. On the same principle, you can make compresses from Kalanchoe, potatoes and garlic.
2. Vinegar lotions help well. For cooking, use fresh garlic and 9% vinegar. Mix the ingredients to a mushy state and apply after securing healthy skin with a band-aid. The mixture is aged for about an hour and a half to two hours, after which it is washed off with warm water. To enhance the effect after lotions, it is recommended to treat the surface of the foot with a salicylic acid ointment.
3. An equally effective remedy against human papillomavirus is iodine. It dries the skin well, disinfects, helps relieve inflammation. To cure a sting on the foot with iodine, it is necessary to periodically lubricate the affected areas of the body.
4. A folk remedy of the type of alkaline preparation can be prepared at home. To do this, celandine leaves are collected, ground or finely chopped, and then infused with 90% medicinal alcohol. The mixture is kept in a dark cool place for 1. 5-2 weeks, after which it is filtered. You need to apply the solution in a spot, seal the skin around the tip with a band-aid or smear it with a greasy cream. The duration of treatment with celandine juice depends on the growth of neoplasms, but should not exceed 30 days.
5. Painful growths can be cauterized with brine made from canned cucumbers or tomatoes. To do this, take thick woolen socks, soak them in brine and put them on. Wrap the top of your legs with cling film or a bag. To create a greenhouse effect, secure the compress with a clean, dry pair of socks. Make a compress in the evening, wash your feet with cold water in the morning. Procedures should be carried out until all tubercles are resolved.