Seed warts are known to be tiny, benign skin growths that occur on the body. They have unique small spots or ‘seeds’ that differentiate them from other kinds of warts. Seed warts are developed because of a viral infection. These infections are known to be contagious and can be disturbing sometimes. It is significant to understand how the infection passes from person to person and also what can be done in order to secure yourself.
Symptoms of Seed Warts
If you tend to develop a skin lesion, then it might be tough to understand the type along with the cause. Seed warts are normally tiny with flesh-colored. They are hard or firm when touched. The appearance of seed warts varies from one to the other. Some warts are flat, and others are developed, depending on their location.
The unique feature of these warts is their tiny spots known as ‘seeds.’ These spots are termed small clotted blood vessels. Seed warts can develop on the bottom of your feet. This is the reason why some seed warts flatten over time because of walking, standing, or running. These warts can also form on the base of your toes or on your heels. In addition to creating tiny black spots and being firm, seed warts can also create pain or tenderness if you walk or stand for a long period of time.
Seed warts are a viral infection known to be created by HPV. This virus, which affects the superficial layer of skin, is known to be a contagious virus that can spread from person to person through direct and indirect contact. If you develop close physical contact with someone who has the virus, you might also develop a seed wart.
It has been seen that the seed warts might appear on the bottom of the feet, the toes, heel, and you can also pick up the virus in public areas. Those areas include swimming pools, changing rooms as well as workout gyms.
A floor surface can become infected when a person with a seed wart walks across it on barefoot. This gives rise to the infection, which can then spread to other people who walk barefoot on the same surface.
Although seed warts are said to be contagious, they aren’t that harmful. While coming in contact with an infected surface doesn’t mean that you would get the virus and start developing warts. Some people are at risk at developing seed warts. These include people:
- with a history of warts
- with a very weakened immune system
- who most of the time walk barefoot
A doctor can usually point out a seed wart from its appearance. Your doctor might specifically check to see if the wart possesses dark spots or blood clots. If your doctor can’t find the wart after a visual examination, the next step is to remove a section of the wart and send it to the lab for analysis. This can determine whether you have a seed wart or another type of skin lesion.
Developing a seed wart doesn’t usually require a visit to your doctor. However, it is better to consult a doctor if you feel any bleeding or pain from the wart. Seed warts found on the bottom of the foot create intense pain. This pain might create a disturbance with your daily routine if you are unable to put pressure on your foot.
Consultation with the doctor can also be made if the wart doesn’t improve or respond to the treatment. Or if you are concerned that the lesion is not a wart but rather another skin disorder, then your doctor can confirm or rule out a seed wart.
Seed warts do not usually require any treatment and often go away on their own with time. In the meantime, there are plenty of remedies in order to ease the symptoms and simultaneously increase the healing process.
Wear Comfortable Shoes
To apply less pressure on your feet, it is better to wear comfortable shoes that have ample cushioning. This aids in pain relief and makes it simpler to walk or stand. Moreover, until the pain lessens or goes away, avoid being on your feet as much as possible.
Try Over-the-counter Medications
Another option is over-the-counter medications that consists of salicylic acid (Compound W Freeze Off and Dr. Scholl’s Freeze Away). These medications freeze off warts and slowly helps in breaking down a wart’s layers.
Cover Up With Duct Tape
Duct tape is known to be another remedy for seed warts. This method slowly and gradually removes layers of the wart. In order to use this method:
- Put a piece of duct tape over the wart. After few days, take it off.
- Use another piece of duct tape after cleaning the seed wart.
- Each time you take off the duct tape, use a pumice stone to remove any dead, peeling skin.
- Continue doing this until the seed wart is gone.
Your doctor may use one of the following techniques to remove a seed wart that is challenging to treat:
- excision (this involves cutting off the wart with scissors or a knife)
- electrosurgery (burning off the wart with high-frequency electrical energy)
- cryotherapy (freezing the wart using liquid nitrogen)
- laser therapy (destroying the wart with an intense beam of light)
- Your doctor can advise immunotherapy to build up your immune system so it can battle the viral infection if your seed wart doesn't react to treatment. To strengthen your immune system, you could have an injection of interferon alfa (Intron A, Roferon A) or use the topical immunotherapy diphencyprone (Diphenylcyclopropenone).
- If your seed wart doesn't go away with treatment, discuss with your doctor receiving the HPV vaccine. Warts have been treated using this vaccination.
- After therapy, most seed warts disappear. The wart might eventually go away even if you don't get treatment, but it's impossible to predict how long it will take to recover. Several seed warts may develop nearby or in the same area after treating one wart. If the infection stays in your body, this may occur.
- Don't touch or pick at a seed wart to prevent it from spreading to other areas of your body. After treating the wart with a topical treatment, wash your hands. Change your socks every day, and wash your feet if you have a seed wart on the bottom of your foot.
