Understanding the Cause of Plantar Warts

Some people seemed to be very susceptible to plantar warts. The majority of these easy plantar warts victims are children and teenagers. Adults, who have weakened immune systems or who frequently use public showers and similar areas, are also prone to contracting plantar warts. From these observations about this skin disease, more knowledge about the plantar warts cause is being gained.

The most basic information about the plantar warts cause is that it is the human papillomavirus or HPV. As a typical virus, the HPV behaves in a way that made many scientists debate whether viruses are considered living things or non-living things. One group insists that viruses are living things because they grow and multiply.

The opposing group points out that these viruses have only one type of nucleic acid in its body whereas all living things have both types, the RNA and the DNA. At the same time, when the virus is not inside the body of the host, it is similar to specks of dust. Whether living or not, the debate is moot and academic because the HPV is definitely a pathogen. This means that viruses cause diseases such as plantar warts. Being exposed to toads is clearly not a plantar warts cause.

Unfortunately, there are more than a hundred strains of the HPV and all of them cause different kinds of warts. The group of HPVs that is composed of viruses that are considered plantar warts causes is called Verruca plantaris. An in-depth research study reported by Dr. Cooper of the Medical University of Ohio School of Medicine revealed that three different types of HPV, namely type 1, type 2, and type 4, are the actual plantar warts causes.

With the strains of HPV unmasked, it has been found that they tend to survive outside the human body when the environment is warm and has a lot of moisture. Such environments can be the locker room, the gym, the public shower, the area around the swimming pool, and even the inside of dirty and sweaty shoes. Therefore, to best avoid picking up the plantar warts causes, a person must wear flip flops or shoes whenever entering these environments. It is also suggested to keep the shoes and socks clean and dry. If this is impossible, a person must have several spare socks and maybe an extra pair of shoes.

As time goes by, there will be more information about the plantar warts causes. With additional knowledge, a more effective treatment could be formulated.