With the cold weather upon us many of us are busy thinking about jetting off to warmer climates to beat the winter blues. While the sun, sea and sand is great, the verruca’s that many patients bring back are certainly not! This month’s blog is a reminder of how important it is to take precautions on holiday and the importance of treating verruca’s as soon as possible.
Verruca’s are viral infections that are picked up when you walk barefoot in a public area. These viruses survive by transferring themselves from one human to another. Swimming pools, changing areas and hotel bathrooms are the most common places for patients to catch this type of infection. The annoying thing about verruca’s is that they can survive and be embedded in your skin for up to 2 years before showing any symptoms. This is why when you first start to show symptoms you need to seek treatment urgently. In the early stages the verruca may appear as a cluster of small black dots. The skin will become raised and uneven like the head of a cauliflower and have red and black marks within it. Pain can also be another factor but in most cases, they can start off painless.
The market is flooded with plenty of over-the-counter remedies. We do not recommend, nor use, any of these as they contain acids which burn through the healthy tissue in addition to the infected verruca tissue. The internet is full of home remedies such as covering it with duct tape, using apple cider vinegar and applying tea tree oils. Whilst there is no side effects to these treatments, there is no scientific research to support them either.
Here at Podiatry Station we have a selection of specialist treatments available for verruca’s including – SWIFT Microwave Therapy, Verrutop, Sharp Debridement and Cryotherapy. Several factors are considered when deciding which treatment will be the most beneficial to yourself. The location, severity, medical history and your lifestyle will all be part of the assessment before deciding which treatment is most suitable.
So, if you have a verruca don’t ignore it and book your consultation at Podiatry Station to start the process of treating it!
