Dealing with resistant plantar warts can be very frustrating, as you cycle through failed traditional treatments. If you’ve tried cryotherapy, acid or other treatments for plantar warts, and they don’t resolve or they keep coming back, it’s time to consider a different option. And that’s when your Marietta podiatrist may recommend SWIFT for stubborn warts.
Identifying Resistant Plantar Warts ![a foot with plantar warts]()
We consider plantar warts to be resistant if they fail to resolve, spread or return after several months of consistent treat, either at home or in the office.
Other signs you may have resistant plantar warts include:
- Failure to resolve: The initial wart does not clear up after three months of traditional plantar wart treatments.
- Repeat occurrences: While the wart lesion disappears after treatment, it returns again in the same location.
- Spreading: New warts form from the main wart, creating a cluster of infection known as a mosaic.
- Persistent symptoms: There’s no difference or improvement in the pain associated with the wart.
- Appearance change: There are changes in the wart’s shape or color, or the wart begins to bleed.
If you have been dealing with any of these issues, and are ready to find relief, it’s time to consider SWIFT for stubborn warts.
Why SWIFT Works When Other Treatments Fail
When traditional treatments fail, SWIFT therapy for plantar warts can finally resolve those stubborn lesions. But why does this treatment in particular work for resistant plantar warts? The answer lies in its mechanism of action. You see, traditional plantar warts target the wart from the outside. They try to resolve the problem by burning or freezing off the lesion itself—often damaging the healthy surrounding tissue in the process. Sometimes, that plan of attack works. But, at other times, the wart sticks around—or clears up and returns—because the traditional treatments fail to address the source of the problem. And that’s the underlying HPV viral infection that caused warts to form in the first place.
In contrast to traditional treatments, SWIFT clears up stubborn warts because it stimulates your body’s immune system, helping it fight the root cause of infection—that HPV virus. Using low-level microwave energy, SWIFT heats up the cells surrounding the wart, essentially uncovering the viral infection. In turn, your immune system is able to recognize the virus and start to fight it off. As a result, even resistant plantar warts begin to resolve in the weeks following treatment. And they typically don’t return afterward, because of your body’s new ability to recognize and fight off infection.
When to See Your Doctor
While SWIFT therapy is especially effective for stubborn plantar warts, it’s also a great first-line treatment option. Most patients are good candidates for SWIFT therapy, as it’s a non-invasive treatment that causes minimal discomfort and requires no aftercare. Moreover, many patients prefer to skip traditional treatments and go straight to SWIFT because, unlike other options, it won’t damage the healthy tissue surrounding your wart.
But when should you see your Marietta podiatrist for wart care? As soon as you notice signs of wart development. You see, the longer you leave a wart untreated, the more likely it is that the lesion will become resistant to treatment. So, if you want to get rid of warts quickly—without worrying about their return—we encourage you to contact the office as soon as you notice changes to the appearance of your skin. When you call us at 770-727-0614 or follow this link to make an appointment, be sure to mention you’re interested in SWIFT for plantar warts!
