The Link Between a Weakened Immune System and Plantar Warts

Warts that appear on your feet are known as plantar warts. These rough growths are most likely to appear on your heels or the balls of your feet. Warts can worsen or spread to other areas of your feet and body.

Did you know that warts are the result of a viral infection? Once the virus enters your body, it’s up to your immune system to fight it off. That’s why people with weakened immune systems are at heightened risk of stubborn plantar warts.

At Town Center Foot & Ankle of Kingwood and Atascocita, Texas, we have effective remedies for warts. If your immune system doesn’t seem to be doing enough to get rid of plantar warts, get in touch with Stephen “Dr. Ike” Eichelsdorfer, DPM, and our Town Center Foot & Ankle team.

Warts and your immune system

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the source of plantar warts. Typically, you become infected when the virus takes advantage of little cuts, tears, or breaks in your skin to enter your body.

A very healthy immune system may be able to fight off the invading virus, so you don’t develop warts at all. Or maybe you see foot warts for a while, but eventually your immune system beats the infection back.

A weaker immune system might not be able to protect you from HPV and plantar warts. The infection can linger in your body for years at a time, causing recurring outbreaks. And the situation can worsen, leading to bigger warts, more warts, and warts in more locations on your body.

When you need treatment for warts

In some cases, warts don’t pose a serious concern. But warts can deform the shape of your foot skin and may result in discomfort or pain while you’re standing or walking. 

Seek medical care for warts if you want them to go away sooner, if the wart is bleeding or painful, or if the wart changes shape or color.

Some warts are actually early signs of other conditions and need testing to determine the diagnosis. If you aren’t sure if a growth is actually a wart, get your feet checked by a professional like Dr. Ike.

Seek treatment for warts if you have an existing condition like diabetes or HIV/AIDS and similar immune system disorders. Some medications can also suppress your immune system, leaving you vulnerable to infections like HPV and plantar warts.

Remedies for plantar warts

We offer several types of effective treatment for plantar warts. We often use cryotherapy, or treatment with a freezing medication, to freeze and remove warts. We can also remove your warts with peeling medication based on salicylic acid at our Kingwood location.

You may need surgical treatment for plantar warts. Dr. Ike provides in-office wart surgery, including electrodesiccation, a technique that targets warts with an electric needle, and curettage, surgical trimming to remove affected skin around a wart.

For the support you need to get rid of warts for good, even with a weakened immune system, contact our team at Town Center Foot & Ankle today. Schedule your appointment by calling now, or request an appointment online.