Disclaimer. I am not a licensed health practitioner. This is just another post on knowledge and understanding you might wish to acquire in advance of a disaster in case no higher care is available. As long as our society is functioning, you should leave anything more substantial than applying a Band-Aid to the professionals. No medication, including those available over the counter, should be taken without consulting a physician. Information shared here is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not medical advice nor a substitute for licensed medical care.
Plantar warts are like croup. Neither problem is addressed in any of my dozen off-grid medicine resources. And yet they are rather common problems. At least, I think they are. My daughter had croup. I had one plantar wart as a teen, and it apparently made quite the impression as I remember it well. I would really hate to experience one during TEOTWAWKI and be completely ignorant of how to treat it.
Plantar warts occur on the soles of the feet (known as the plantar) and are caused by the same virus that causes other warts. While most warts, including plantar warts, will eventually resolve on their own without treatment, this isn't always the case. Plantar warts can make walking incredibly painful at best, and the persistent ones can cause lasting damage if not treated.
Plantar warts are not highly contagious from person to person contact. They are most frequently seen in the following groups of people:
children and teens
individuals with compromised immune systems
those who have previously had plantar warts
those who walk barefoot around swimming pools and locker roomsThe virus enters through a tiny break in the skin and gradually develops into a wart. This wart becomes covered with a callus. Careful examination will reveal tiny black dots that look like pepper in the callus and wart. Eradicating the wart may be quick or slow, depending on the treatment you select. In all cases, the afflicted foot should be soaked in warm water for 15 minutes every day. The callus may also be scraped with an emery board or pumice stone (some people use a Dremel) to hasten removal of the dead skin and penetration of the medicine. Then choose one of the following OTC treatments that are suggested by the Mayo Clinic:
Salicylic acid (Compound W, etc.). Apply, let dry, and cover with a bandage. Change daily.
Freezing treatment
Duct tape
The following approaches are not recommended by the Mayo Clinic but are commonly used nonetheless.
Locate the hard core in the center of the wart and remove it with tweezers. The wart should resolve within a day or two.
Use a scalpel to cut out the wart.
Soak the foot in warm water for 30 minutes and use tweezers to remove it once it has softened.
Soak the foot in apple cider vinegar once or twice per day for 15 minutes and then use one of the other methods to remove it.
References:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/plantar-warts/symptoms-causes/syc-20352691
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