Verrucas: How Do You Catch Them and What Can You Do About Them?
Many people know roughly what a verruca looks like, but are surprised to learn that a verruca is actually caused by a virus.
Verrucas are plantar warts caused by certain types of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Exposure to HPV is common, but coming into contact with the virus doesn’t necessarily mean that you will develop a verruca.
For infection to occur, the virus needs an opportunity to get past the skin’s natural protective barrier. Your skin integrity and your immune response therefore both have an important part to play.
Why Are Verrucas Associated With Swimming Pools?
Swimming pools, communal showers and changing rooms are commonly associated with verrucas, and there’s a sensible reason for this.
These are places where lots of people are walking barefoot. If somebody has a verruca, infected skin cells can be shed into an environment where other bare feet may come into contact with them.
But simply walking across the same floor as somebody with a verruca doesn’t mean you will automatically develop one.
The condition of your own skin matters too.
Your Skin Is Your First Line of Defence
Your skin provides a physical barrier between your body and the outside environment. For HPV to establish an infection, it needs an opportunity to get past that barrier.
Dry, cracked or damaged skin can create those opportunities. Areas of callus or high friction can develop tiny splits and micro-fissures, while cuts, grazes and blisters create more obvious breaks in the skin through which the virus may gain entry.
This is why looking after the condition of the skin on your feet is important. Well-hydrated, intact skin provides a more effective barrier, with fewer opportunities for the virus to get through.
Moisturising isn’t a treatment for HPV and it can’t prevent you from being exposed to the virus. What it can do is help keep dry skin supple and reduce cracking, supporting the integrity of your natural skin barrier.
Cuts, grazes and blisters should also be kept clean and appropriately covered while they heal, particularly when using communal facilities.
Around swimming pools and communal changing areas, wearing flip-flops, pool shoes or waterproof sandals provides an additional physical barrier between your feet and shared surfaces.
Your Immune System Matters Too
Verrucas are viral infections, which means your immune system is ultimately responsible for recognising and responding to the virus.
This is one reason verrucas can behave very differently from one person to another.
One person may be exposed to HPV and never develop a visible verruca. Another may develop one that disappears without treatment, while somebody else may have a persistent verruca that remains for months or even years.
People whose immune systems are compromised may find verrucas more persistent or difficult to clear because their immune response to the virus can be less effective.
This is also one reason why there isn’t a single verruca treatment that works for everybody.
Can I Pass My Verruca to My Family?
This is something we’re asked all the time.
The simple answer is yes, verrucas can spread between people – but that doesn’t mean everyone in the household is going to develop one.
Good basic hygiene is sensible. Avoid sharing socks, shoes and towels, and don’t share foot files or other equipment that has been in direct contact with the affected area.
But there’s no need to panic or treat somebody with a verruca as though they need to be isolated from the rest of the household.
HPV is common in our environment, and whether another person develops a verruca depends on more than simply being in the same home as somebody who has one. Their skin barrier and their individual immune response also play a part.
So although transmission between people is possible, it isn’t always possible – or particularly helpful – to decide that one particular person “gave you” a verruca.
What Can I Do to Reduce My Risk?
You can’t completely eliminate your exposure to HPV, but there are some sensible measures you can take:
- Wear flip-flops, pool shoes or waterproof sandals in communal changing rooms, showers and around swimming pools.
- Avoid sharing socks, shoes and towels.
- Don’t share foot files or other items that have been used directly on somebody else’s feet.
- Look after dry or cracked skin to help maintain a healthy, intact skin barrier.
- Keep cuts, grazes and blisters clean and appropriately covered while they heal.
These measures aren’t a guarantee that you’ll never develop a verruca. They’re about reducing opportunities for the virus to reach your skin and get past its natural protective barrier.
What If I Think I’ve Got a Verruca?
First, it’s worth establishing whether it actually is one.
Not every lump, bump or area of hard skin on the foot is a verruca. Corns and other skin lesions can sometimes look similar, and misdiagnosis happens more often than you might think.
Many verrucas will eventually resolve without treatment as the immune system recognises and clears the infection.
However, treatment may be worth considering if a verruca is painful, persistent, spreading or simply becoming troublesome.
At Feet & Motion, we can assess the lesion, establish whether it is likely to be a verruca and discuss the different management and treatment options available to you.
The important thing to remember is that exposure to HPV is only one part of the picture. Maintaining healthy skin, taking sensible hygiene precautions and understanding the role of your immune system can all help when it comes to reducing your risk and deciding what to do if a verruca does develop.