An 8 year old on the swim team comes in with a Callus..... mostly likely it is a Plantar Wart.
Warts can happen at any age. Children tend to be more suseptible to them.
What Causes them?
Nearly everyone will have a wart at some point in their lives. Warts are typically small, hard skin growths caused by an infection with humanpallilloma virus or HPV. They are often mistaken for callues. Foot warts are treatable. Foot warts are among the most common dermatologic conditions podiatrists treat.
An HPV Infection
Common warts are caused by by an HPV infection. Over 100 types of HPV exist. Certain types of HPV infection cause cervical cancer. Some types of HPV infection cause foot warts, while others cause warts that appear on the face, neck, or hands. Of the 100 types of HPV, about 60 cause common warts on areas such as the hands or feet.
Skin-To-Skin Contact
Wart viruses are contagious. You can get foot warts from skin-to-skin contact with people who have warts. However, not all HPV strains are highly contagious. You can get the wart virus by touching an object that another person's wart touched, such as sharing a shower, shoes, or exercise equipment or walking barefoot at the pool.
Breaks in Your Skin
HPV infects the top layer of skin and usually enters the body in an area of damaged or cut skin. Cuts from shaving can provide an avenue for infection. Getting a scrape can also bring on common warts. Foot warts are very common in swimmers whose feet are scratched by rough pool surfaces.
A Weak Immune System
In most cases, your immune system defeats an HPV infection before it creates a wart. Someone with a weakened immune system is more vulnerable and therefore more likely to develop warts.
If you want to get rid of foot warts, see your podiatrist as soon as possible. Many types of effective wart treatments are available.Your podiatrist can help you get rid of foot warts once and for all with minimal to no down time.
Sincerly,
Advanced Foot and Ankle
972.542.2155