A Verruca or Verrucae – symptoms, treatment and prevention
What is a Verruca?
A Verruca is a wart on the foot caused by the Human Papilloma Virus(HPV) and can be found anywhere on the foot but commonly on the soles.
The virus is passed from person to person by direct contact and it thrives in moist, damp environments such as swimming pools, changing room floors and communal shower rooms.
Verrucae are harmless but because they develop on a weight-bearing area of the foot they can become quite painful.
Can they be treated?
In many cases evidence has shown that verrucae can disappear on their own accord within 2 years. The body’s own defense mechanism, the immune system, fights the viral infection. However many can remain for years and become painful so one may decide that treatment is the best course of action.