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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffYou'll likely start by seeing your family doctor or primary care doctor. However, you may be referred to a specialist in skin diseases (dermatologist).
The following tips can help you prepare for your appointment.
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions, such as:
- When did the lesion or lesions first appear?
- Have they changed significantly in size or appearance?
- Does the condition cause any pain?
- Have you had warts before?
- Have you been diagnosed with diabetes or nerve damage in your feet?
- Do you have any condition or take any medication that is known to weaken your immune system?
- What at-home treatments have you used and how long have you used them?
- What effect have you noticed with these treatments?
- Do you use a public pool or shower at a gym — common places for exposure to a wart-causing virus?
What you can do
Bring a list of all medications you take regularly — including over-the-counter medications and dietary supplements — and the daily dosage of each.
You may also want to write down questions for your doctor:
- If I have a plantar wart, can we start with at-home care?
- If we choose that approach, under what conditions should I call you?
- If the first treatment doesn't work, what will we try next?
- If the lesion isn't a plantar wart, what tests would you need to do?
- How long will it take to get results?
What you can do in the meantime
If you're certain that you have a plantar wart, you can begin using home remedies or alternative medicines. If you have diabetes, nerve damage in your feet or a compromised immune system, don't use self-care remedies without consulting your doctor.
If pressure on the wart causes pain, you may want to wear well-cushioned shoes, such as athletic shoes, that evenly support the sole and relieve some pressure on the wart. Avoid wearing dress shoes or other less comfortable shoes if possible.
- Warts. American Academy of Dermatology. http://www.aad.org/public/publications/pamphlets/common_warts.html. Accessed March 4, 2011.
- Androphy E, et al. Warts. In: Wolff K, et al. Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. 7th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2958209. Accessed Feb. 24, 2011.
- Warts, herpes simplex, and other viral infections. In: Habif TP. Clinical Dermatology: A Color Guide to Diagnosis and Therapy. 5th ed. Edinburgh, U.K.; New York, N.Y.: Mosby Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..X0001-6--TOP&isbn=978-0-7234-3541-9&uniqId=230100505-57. Accessed Feb. 24, 2011.
- Your guide to diabetes: Type 1 and type 2. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/type1and2/YourGuide2Diabetes.pdf. Accessed Feb. 24, 2011.
- Goldstein BG, et al. Cutaneous warts. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 4, 2011.
- Gibbs S, et al. Topical treatments for cutaneous warts. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2006:CD001781. http://www2.cochrane.org/reviews. Accessed March 4, 2011.
- Aldara (prescribing information). Loughborough, U.K.: 3M Health Care Limited; 2010. http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2010/020723s022lbl.pdf. Accessed Feb. 24, 2011.
- Podophyllum. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed March 2, 2011.
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