What are plantar warts and how do they affect children. How can parents treat plantar warts at home. When should medical attention be sought for plantar warts. What are the professional treatment options for stubborn plantar warts. How can plantar warts be prevented in the future.

Understanding Plantar Warts: Causes and Symptoms

Plantar warts are harmless skin growths that occur on the bottom of the feet, often causing discomfort when walking. These warts are caused by a virus that stimulates rapid growth in the top layer of skin. While they typically resolve on their own over time, plantar warts can be a source of pain and concern, especially in children.

The primary characteristics of plantar warts include:

• Location on the sole of the foot
• Pain when applying pressure or walking
• Small, rough growths on the skin
• Tiny black dots (sometimes called “wart seeds”) visible within the wart

Are plantar warts contagious? Indeed, these warts can spread easily through direct contact. Children can reinfect themselves by touching the wart and then another part of their body. Additionally, sharing personal items like towels can lead to transmission between individuals.

Home Remedies and Over-the-Counter Treatments

For many cases of plantar warts, professional medical treatment may not be necessary. Several home remedies and over-the-counter options can be effective in managing and eliminating these pesky growths.

Salicylic Acid Treatment

One of the most common and accessible treatments for plantar warts is salicylic acid. This method involves:

1. Applying the acid solution to the wart
2. Allowing it to penetrate and soften the skin
3. Filing down the dead skin after a period of time
4. Repeating the process for 2-3 months

How effective is salicylic acid for treating plantar warts? When used consistently and correctly, salicylic acid can be highly effective in eliminating plantar warts, especially when combined with regular debridement of dead skin.

The Duct Tape Method

An unconventional but sometimes effective treatment involves the use of duct tape. The process includes:

1. Covering the wart with duct tape
2. Leaving the tape in place for several days
3. Removing the tape and filing down dead skin
4. Repeating the process for 1-2 months

While the exact mechanism is not fully understood, some believe that the tape may deprive the wart of oxygen or stimulate the immune system to fight the virus.

Managing Discomfort and Promoting Healing

While treating the wart itself is crucial, managing discomfort and creating an environment conducive to healing is equally important. Here are some strategies to alleviate pain and support the healing process:

• Wear comfortable shoes and socks that don’t put excessive pressure on the affected area
• Use doughnut-shaped felt or moleskin patches to relieve pressure on the wart
• Place cushions or pads in shoes for added comfort while walking
• Administer over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen as needed

Can children take any pain medication for plantar wart discomfort? While acetaminophen and ibuprofen are generally safe for children, it’s crucial to follow dosage instructions carefully and avoid giving aspirin to anyone under 20 due to its association with Reye syndrome.

Professional Medical Treatments for Stubborn Plantar Warts

When home remedies and over-the-counter treatments prove ineffective, or if the warts are causing significant pain or spreading, professional medical interventions may be necessary. Podiatrists and dermatologists offer several advanced treatment options for persistent plantar warts.

Cryotherapy: Freezing the Wart

Cryotherapy involves freezing the wart with liquid nitrogen. This treatment:

• Causes the wart to blister and eventually fall off
• May require multiple sessions for complete removal
• Can be slightly painful but is generally well-tolerated

How effective is cryotherapy for plantar warts? Cryotherapy can be highly effective, especially when combined with other treatments like salicylic acid. Success rates vary, but many patients see significant improvement after several sessions.

Electrocautery and Curettage

This surgical approach involves:

1. Numbing the area with local anesthesia
2. Burning the wart with an electric needle (electrocautery)
3. Scraping away the dead tissue (curettage)

While effective, this method may leave a scar and requires more recovery time than other treatments.

Laser Therapy

Advanced laser treatments can target and destroy the blood vessels feeding the wart, effectively “starving” it. This method:

• Is precise and minimally invasive
• May require multiple sessions
• Can be more expensive than other treatments

Immunotherapy and Vaccine Treatments

For particularly stubborn or recurring plantar warts, immunotherapy may be recommended. This approach aims to stimulate the body’s immune system to fight the virus causing the warts.

Intralesional Immunotherapy

This treatment involves:

1. Injecting antigens into the wart
2. Stimulating an immune response to fight the virus
3. Potentially clearing not only the treated wart but also distant warts

Are there any side effects to immunotherapy for plantar warts? While generally safe, patients may experience temporary flu-like symptoms or local irritation at the injection site. It’s important to discuss potential risks and benefits with a healthcare provider.

HPV Vaccines

Although primarily developed to prevent cervical cancer, some HPV vaccines have shown promise in treating recalcitrant warts. This off-label use involves:

• Administering the vaccine to stimulate immune response
• Potentially clearing existing warts and preventing new ones
• Requiring further research to establish efficacy for plantar warts specifically

Preventing Plantar Warts: Proactive Measures

While treating existing plantar warts is important, prevention is equally crucial. By taking proactive steps, individuals can significantly reduce their risk of developing these uncomfortable growths.

Hygiene and Protection

Key preventive measures include:

• Wearing sandals or shower shoes in public areas like locker rooms and swimming pools
• Keeping feet clean and dry
• Avoiding walking barefoot in public areas
• Not sharing personal items like towels or socks

How can parents teach children to prevent plantar warts? Educating children about proper foot hygiene and the importance of protective footwear in public areas is crucial. Making it a habit to wear flip-flops or water shoes in communal showers or pool areas can significantly reduce the risk of infection.

Strengthening the Immune System

A robust immune system can help ward off the virus that causes plantar warts. To boost immunity:

• Maintain a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables
• Ensure adequate sleep and stress management
• Consider vitamin supplements, particularly Vitamin C and Zinc, after consulting with a healthcare provider

When to Seek Medical Attention

While many plantar warts can be managed at home, certain situations warrant professional medical attention. It’s important to recognize these signs to ensure proper care and prevent complications.

Signs of Infection

Seek immediate medical care if you notice:

• Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness around the wart
• Red streaks extending from the wart
• Pus draining from the wart
• Fever accompanying wart symptoms

These symptoms may indicate a secondary bacterial infection, which requires prompt treatment to prevent more serious complications.

Persistent or Spreading Warts

Consult a healthcare provider if:

• The wart persists despite consistent home treatment for several weeks
• New warts appear or existing ones spread rapidly
• The wart causes significant pain or interferes with daily activities
• You have diabetes or a weakened immune system, as these conditions can complicate wart treatment

How long should you wait before seeking professional help for a plantar wart? If home treatments show no improvement after 4-6 weeks, or if the wart is causing significant discomfort, it’s advisable to consult a podiatrist or dermatologist for more advanced treatment options.

Innovative Research and Future Treatments

The field of plantar wart treatment is continually evolving, with researchers exploring new and more effective ways to combat these persistent skin growths. Understanding these developments can provide hope for those struggling with recurrent or treatment-resistant warts.

Photodynamic Therapy

This emerging treatment involves:

1. Applying a photosensitizing agent to the wart
2. Exposing the area to specific wavelengths of light
3. Triggering a reaction that destroys the wart tissue

Early studies show promising results, particularly for warts that haven’t responded to traditional treatments.

Combination Therapies

Researchers are exploring the efficacy of combining different treatment modalities, such as:

• Cryotherapy followed by topical immunomodulators
• Laser therapy combined with intralesional immunotherapy
• Sequential application of various topical agents

These combination approaches aim to leverage the strengths of multiple treatments to achieve better outcomes.

Nanotechnology in Wart Treatment

Cutting-edge research is investigating the use of nanoparticles to:

• Deliver medications more effectively to the wart tissue
• Enhance the penetration of topical treatments
• Potentially develop new, more targeted therapies

While still in early stages, nanotechnology holds promise for revolutionizing plantar wart treatment in the future.

What role might personalized medicine play in future plantar wart treatments? As our understanding of individual genetic and immune factors grows, treatments may be tailored to each patient’s specific profile, potentially increasing efficacy and reducing side effects.

Plantar Warts in Children: Care Instructions

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Overview

A plantar wart is a harmless skin growth. Plantar warts occur on the bottom of the feet and may be painful when your child walks. A virus makes the top layer of skin grow quickly, causing a wart. Warts usually go away on their own in months or years.

Warts are spread easily. Your child can be infected again by touching the wart and then touching another part of the body. Others can also be infected by sharing towels or other personal items.

Most plantar warts do not need treatment. But if warts cause your child pain or spread, your doctor may recommend that you use an over-the-counter treatment. These include salicylic acid or duct tape. Your doctor may prescribe a stronger medicine to put on warts or may inject them with medicine. Your doctor also can remove warts through surgery or by freezing them.

Follow-up care is a key part of your child’s treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor if your child is having problems. It’s also a good idea to know your child’s test results and keep a list of the medicines your child takes.

How can you care for your child at home?

• Use salicylic acid or duct tape as your doctor directs. You put the medicine or the tape on a wart for a while and then file down the dead skin on the wart. You use the salicylic acid treatment for 2 to 3 months or the tape for 1 to 2 months.
• If your doctor prescribes medicine to put on warts, use it exactly as prescribed. Call your doctor if you think your child is having a problem with a medicine.
• Give your child comfortable shoes and socks to wear. Avoid shoes that put a lot of pressure on the foot.
• Pad the wart with doughnut-shaped felt or a moleskin patch. You can buy these at a drugstore. Put the pad around the plantar wart so that it relieves pressure on the wart. You also can place pads or cushions in your child’s shoes to make walking more comfortable.
• Give your child an over-the-counter medicine, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) if your child has pain. Read and follow all instructions on the label. Do not give aspirin to anyone younger than 20. It has been linked to Reye syndrome, a serious illness.
• Do not give a child two or more pain medicines at the same time unless the doctor told you to. Many pain medicines have acetaminophen, which is Tylenol. Too much acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be harmful.

When should you call for help?

Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:

• Your child has signs of infection, such as:
  • Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness.
  • Red streaks leading from a wart.
  • Pus draining from a wart.
  • A fever.

Watch closely for changes in your child’s health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:

• Your child does not get better as expected.

Where can you learn more?

Go to https://www.healthwise.net/patientEd

Enter L744 in the search box to learn more about “Plantar Warts in Children: Care Instructions”.

Foot & Ankle Medical Clinic: Podiatry

A painful plantar wart can remain hidden on the bottom of the foot where it grows in the plantar fascia (the wide band of tissue that spans the bottom of your foot, helping to form your arch). Often the only signs are the pain when weight is applied to the foot and the appearance of a small bump under the skin. This skin often has to be carefully removed by your foot doctor to adequately treat a plantar wart.

Treatments for painful hidden plantar warts include the following:

1. Skin removal and debridement—Emery paper, skin files, and debridement tools are used to sand away dead skin to reveal the hidden plantar wart.

2. Acid melting—Strong acid solutions are carefully applied to gradually peel away layers of the wart.

3. Cryotherapy—Freezing with liquid nitrogen allows large pieces of the wart to be broken off. Cryotherapy and acid therapy can be used concomitantly for faster results.

4. Vaccine treatment—Medication is taken internally to kill the virus that causes warts. These medications have certain side effects that you should discuss with your foot doctor.

Avoiding and minimizing contact with microbes by wearing sandals or shower shoes in common areas like locker rooms, showers, etc. , will decrease your chances of getting warts.

If you need help treating a painful hidden plantar wart, contact your podiatrist. Dr. Scott Nelson of Foot and Ankle Medical Clinic in Garland, TX (county of Dallas), is a board-certified and highly experienced podiatrist who has helped people suffering from all types of foot and ankle injuries and deformities. From bunions to diabetic foot problems, sports injuries, and fungal nails, you can trust that Dr. Nelson and his staff are wholeheartedly devoted to your foot health. Please contact our office with any questions you may have or to schedule an appointment by calling 972-414-9800.

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Why doesn’t a dry cough go away for a long time? – reference book Omega-Kyiv

Dry cough is not an independent problem and disease. Cough is a reflex of the body that occurs due to the appearance of an allergic or bacterial pathogen. It is for this reason that cough is a concomitant symptom of more than 100 different diseases, from the usual SARS to oncology.

Types of dry cough:

• Acute. Such a cough begins abruptly, but with proper treatment quickly turns into a wet one and disappears after a few days;
• Drawstring. This type of cough is characterized by a rather slow course and can torment a person for more than three months;
• Chronic. Such a cough lasts more than three months and does not go away when taking medicines with an expectorant effect.

Diseases accompanied by dry cough:

• Acute respiratory viral infection. SARS and acute respiratory infections are the most common cause of cough. A cough can be wet or dry, pass quickly or accompany the human body for several weeks. The most effective way to deal with ARVI is to fight cough using inhalations from natural herbs;
• Pneumonia. This is a complication that occurs as a result of secondary infection after an acute respiratory viral infection;
• Whooping cough, measles. Children’s infectious diseases, which are characterized by a strong dry cough;
• Tuberculosis. A disease that affects the respiratory system and causes a prolonged dry cough. There are two forms of the disease: open and closed. The first is characterized by expectoration of sputum with blood, while the second is not accompanied by particularly striking signs;
• Chronic bronchitis.
• A disease in which there is indolent inflammation in the bronchi;
• Oncological disease of the respiratory system. Prolonged dry cough can be caused by oncological lesions of the lungs, bronchi, throat and trachea. Each of these types of cancer is accompanied by a hysterical cough that does not go away after taking expectorants. If a cough occurs that does not go away for more than two weeks, you must contact the clinic and undergo a comprehensive examination, conduct a bronchoscopy and be tested for tumor markers;
• Allergic cough. A prolonged cough can be caused by an allergic reaction to food, animal hair, mold in the apartment, etc.;
• Asthma. Bronchial asthma is one of the most common diseases of the respiratory system. With asthma, a dry cough occurs, accompanied by attacks of suffocation;
• Professional problems. People who work in difficult conditions (mines, sand and granite quarries) may experience a chronic dry cough due to regular irritation of the respiratory system;
• Environmental factors. Frequent use of household chemicals with a high content of chlorine or outdoor air polluted with exhaust gases become the causes of a prolonged dry cough. Regular chemical poisoning has an irritating effect on the organs of the respiratory system.

How to get rid of a cough?

To cure chronic dry cough, first of all it is necessary to know exactly the source of irritation or the cause of the occurrence. To do this, you should contact the medical center and undergo a comprehensive examination.

If the cough is due to a complication of influenza or SARS, you should re-examine and resume treatment. Sessions of inhalation and massage become the most effective.

How to quickly get rid of a cough: effective remedies for adults and children – December 14, 2022

We bet you have already visited the pharmacy more than once this season

org/Person”> Photo: Irina Sharova / 72.RU

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around whom you will not ask, everyone is sick. Kindergartens are closed for quarantine, and clinics are crowded, everyone wants to get an appointment with their next SARS. At this time, advice on how to recover quickly is especially relevant, because for many, a long sick leave is an unaffordable luxury. Our colleagues from Vokrug Sveta spoke with infectious disease specialist, executive director of the National Scientific Society of Infectious Diseases Denis Usenko .

Please note: doctors do not recommend self-treatment and, at the slightest sign of deterioration, they advise you to contact specialists.

— The common cold is not a diagnosis, but a common, “popular” name for all seasonal diseases of the upper respiratory tract, which can be both viral and bacterial in nature, which is very important in treatment, Denis Usenko explained.

The doctor notes that usually the body is able to cope with ARVI on its own, but in order for this process to be less painful, it is necessary to stop the symptoms correctly.

If you have a cough with sputum that is difficult to pass, the expert advises using mucolytics – they are also effective for persistent rhinitis and sinusitis. Choose drugs based on carbocysteine.

The action of mucolytics can be seen on the first or second day of administration. If you don’t get better, you should see a doctor. But it is undesirable to bring down the temperature below 38.5 degrees.

– Use paracetamol or ibuprofen-based antipyretics for high fever, but only when the temperature is above 38.5 degrees, unless some other chronic medical condition requires otherwise. By raising the temperature, the body fights the infection,” said Denis Usenko.

If you suffer from a sore throat, the expert recommends remedies based on lysozyme.

Lysozyme is an enzyme in the human body that has antimicrobial and antiviral effects, but retains normal microflora, and also helps to strengthen local immunity.

The doctor advises not to rely heavily on traditional medicine, especially when it comes to children. Onions, honey, tea, lemon, garlic, cranberries and other products are not a panacea for all ills, but various herbs and herbal products can cause an allergic reaction.

We recently prepared a step-by-step guide for those who got sick on the first day. We all know that sometimes a cold can go away just as suddenly as it started. Let’s see how we can help her.

Morning , the first day of illness. If you wake up with a reddened throat and stuffy nose, be sure to gargle to remove the buildup. Therapist Sergey Cheryomushkin advises to take a solution of propolis tincture and water half an hour before meals (1 tablespoon of infusion to 5 tablespoons of water). Next, rinse your nose with saline. For breakfast, drink tea with lemon and a tablespoon of rosehip syrup. Of the drugs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be used. Before leaving the house, put drops in your nose.

Sergey Cheryomushkin — Chief Therapist of the Central Directorate of Health — a branch of Russian Railways, Head of the Department, therapist of the highest qualification category, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Propaedeutics of Internal Diseases and Gastroenterology of the Moscow State Medical University.

If you feel unwell during the day at your workplace, don’t wait for the evening – start treatment right away.

– Ascorbic acid can provide first aid. But do not use tablets, but powder, which penetrates the blood faster and does no harm if taken on an empty stomach. When treating, you will need 1 gram of ascorbic acid: pour it into a teaspoon, eat it and drink it with tea, you can with lemon. If gargling at work is not possible, an inhalation spray will come in handy, for example, based on iodine with menthol, the expert advises.

The evening of is the time of the most active fight against a cold. Powdered aspirin can also be used. The doctor also suggests choosing a drink based on rosehip, blackcurrant, sea buckthorn, honey and lemon. Drink it in small sips, warm, throughout the evening.

Refrain from hot baths, with a cold, the patient needs only dry heat.

– Moisture promotes the growth of bacteria, and our task is to reduce their number as much as possible. But you can make a mustard foot bath. Dilute 2 tablespoons of dry mustard in hot water, lower your legs and hold for 15-20 minutes, carefully adding hot water from time to time. After the procedure, vigorously rub your feet with a towel, put on dry woolen socks, the therapist concludes. – Before going to bed, you can chop a few cloves of garlic in a plate, a head of onion and put next to the bed.

General practitioner Alexandra Myznikova reminds that today there is not a single antiviral “cold medicine” with proven effectiveness.

— The production of antibodies and the elimination of the virus from the body takes a certain time, the duration of which also does not depend on the amount of pepper, garlic, lemon and other miracle foods eaten. Therefore, the well-known aphorism that “a cold is treated with drugs for 7 days, and without drugs for a week” remains true today, she says.

It’s not a secret for anyone that you should not drink antiviral and antibiotics on your own in case of SARS. It is better to consult a doctor who will prescribe a competent treatment. But if there is no time at all and you don’t want to fall out of the usual rhythm of life for a long time, natural honey can be an excellent helper with a dry cough, relieve inflammation and strengthen the immune system. The main thing is to use it correctly.

The first thing to remember is that honey cannot stand high temperatures. When heated above 40 ºС, honey changes its structure, as a result, hydroxymethylfurfural is formed in it. And if you heat honey over 50 ºС, it will completely lose almost all useful properties.

— It is better to eat honey with hot tea or hot milk as a bite. If you want to mix it into a drink, you can only heat it up to 40 ºС in order to avoid the formation of harmful substances, – said Gennady Kovalev, chairman of the regional society of beekeepers “Ural bee”. – As for the storage of honey, the optimum temperature is +8 ºС. If you observe the temperature regime, honey can be stored for a very long time without losing its beneficial qualities.

It is worth noting that horror stories about the harmfulness of hydroxymethylfurfural in honey are greatly exaggerated if consumed in a reasonable amount. Oxymethylfurfural is formed by heating carbohydrate compounds, in this case, fructose, in an acidic environment. GOST limits the permissible content of hydroxymethylfurfural in 1 kilogram of honey to 25 milligrams. The content of hydroxymethylfurfural in fresh honey is close to zero, in overheated honey it is more than 80 mg/kg.

Back in 1975, the Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences conducted studies that showed that the daily intake of hydroxymethylfurfural into the body with food in the amount of 2 milligrams per 1 kilogram of weight does not pose a danger to humans. Therefore, if you use even heated honey in a reasonable amount, there will be no harm to health. For example, in carbonated drinks, the content of hydroxymethylfurfural can even reach 300-350 mg / l.

— Honey is a recognized remedy in the treatment and prevention of colds. But it must be remembered that this is by no means a medicine, it is a product that comes in addition to the main doctor’s prescriptions. In the period of acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections, only natural honey and its products can have a positive effect on the body, accelerate its recovery, – said general practitioner Elena Shabunina . – For example, acacia honey is known as a good general tonic, linden honey has expectorant and anti-inflammatory properties in diseases of the throat and bronchi. Mustard honey has a good effect on inflammatory processes in the body, has a healing effect on the respiratory system. And May (early) honey has bactericidal and expectorant properties.

If, having fallen ill, you dared to call your mother or grandmother and tell about what is happening, then you are provided with an iodine net and socks with salt. Which of these will really help, and which is useless and dangerous – we figured out in a cold test.

Many people know that garlic can be used to prevent colds. It produces phytoncides – active substances that kill microbes. But people with gastritis and a sick stomach should be careful with garlic.

Gargling with salt and soda helps to relieve the well-being of infectious diseases of the throat. This solution can eliminate swelling and reduce the symptoms of tonsillitis, stomatitis, gingivitis and other diseases.

But making iodine mesh to relieve cough is not worth it. Iodine has a slight warming effect, but nothing more. And if you draw them on the throat and back, then it will easily enter the body. An excess of iodine can lead to unpleasant consequences, such as hyperthyroidism.

Hot potato inhalations against the common cold also do not leave the body without a trace, they are especially contraindicated for children. During such inhalation, it is difficult to control the temperature, and too hot steam can cause burns to the nasopharyngeal mucosa and damage to the vocal cords. In general, we have already talked about the benefits and harms of potatoes.

But what about rubbing the body with vinegar or vodka against the temperature of ? When a person has a fever and not all drugs can be given, rubdowns work well. But do not forget that before the procedure, the same vinegar must be diluted. If you start wiping yourself with essence, you will, of course, forget about the temperature, but only because you will get burns.

Doctors do not recommend dripping a solution with honey into the nose in case of a runny nose, because honey is an allergen. If you don’t know if you are allergic to this product or not, why take the risk? Moreover, due to washing the nose with honey, Quincke’s edema may begin.

Raspberry Jam really helps reduce fever. Raspberries are a good aspirin, and jam can be consumed if you feel unwell. Assuming you don’t have any allergies.

Doctors will not mind if you drink mulled wine to prevent colds.