Painful Bumps on the FEET

When I was out of town this weekend visiting my family, my nephew asked me about some painful bumps on the bottom of his foot. Close inspection revealed that he had warts on the bottom of his feet. These are caused by a virus and thrive in warm, moist environments, like our shoes and socks, pools, and locker rooms. Teenagers, like my nephew, are a common age group that get warts. Although, anyone can get them, children and the elderly are the most common. Warts can appear as raised bumps, calloused areas, white areas, or areas with dark dots throughout, and they are typically painful. Warts are challenging to treat but may respond to any of the following: excision, lasers, acids, freezing, or topical medications. Usually, several months of treatment are required to treat the warts. Recurrence can be prevented by keeping the feet as dry as possible by changing socks frequently, wearing shower shoes at the pool or locker room, and using sprays or powders to keep the feet dry. Happy July! Dr. Bender, 708-763-0580 oakparkpodiatry.com advancedphysicalmedicine.org