Plantar warts are a fairly common misery these days. What many people don't realize is that they are preventable. In most cases, people don't even realize where or how they got plantar warts. Plantar warts are the kind that usually occur on the bottom or sides of the feet and they embed themselves into the skin and press on surrounding nerves, causing great pain and often changing a person posture and gait. So, how does one wind up with plantar warts?
Plantar warts are caused by the HPV virus. The Human Papilloma Virus is responsible for many skin maladies. There are a number of types or strains of HPV and they occur throughout the body. Some prefer the more moist areas of the body like the mouth or the anus. Others like harder, tougher skin and others still prefer the softer tissues like the genitals. Plantar warts are a different variety and they are the type that prefer the harder, tougher skin. Though the skin on the feet can be rougher, it is really not all that thick in mid foot or or up to the balls of the feet. When the virus attaches, it is often in the ball of the foot because once the virus attaches itself in this area the skin is more pressured and the skin cells change out rapidly because of extreme wear. This area of the foot takes a great deal of punishment and if the virus is attached here it is sort of "ground" into the tissue and starts growing the small inocuous tumor.
Once the wart starts growing, it embeds itself in this tissue and thus, the very difficult to get rid of plantar wart is formed.
The HPV is often found on the ground or on floors on which many people have walked. One way to prevent the virus from attaching to the bottom of the feet is to always wear shoes or foot covering when in public places. What kinds of public places are the worst? Public showers, swimming pools, frequented public sidewalks and such. If you happen to wear someone's shoe that has plantar warts, there's a good chance you'll get them too, so don't wear other people's shoes. If you use a public facility like a shower, always wear some type of footwear like shower shoes or slippers in the shower. It is just a good idea to always wear footwear wherever you go. This is the best preventative for plantar warts.
Though they can be treated, the treatment that is often chosen is painful and leaves scars. There are techniques available that can alleviate plantar warts without surgery and sometimes they work very well. The very best way to get rid of warts is to avoid getting them in the first place. Use common sense and you should be ok.