Why do fish eyes appear on the feet and how they are removed

The plantar warts, or fish eyes as they are popularly known, are flat warts that usually look like a black dot or several together under the skin, they grow inwards and to the sides, instead of outwards like many other types of warts. This skin condition is highly contagious, and lesions can easily spread to the entire sole of the foot, toes, and even to other parts of the body, such as the hands, legs, and arms.

But what causes fish eyes and why are there people who get it a lot and others who don’t? The cause of these warts is the human papillomavirus or HPV that comes into contact with the skin of the soles of the feet, which usually enters through small cracks and cuts or areas where the skin of the foot is thinner and more delicate, such as the one between the toes. This virus is very common, many people suffer from it without knowing it and, in addition, there are more than 100 strains or variants of HPV and not all produce fish eyes on the feet, just as not all produce genital warts.

Normally, the virus affects those who meet one or both of the following conditions, in addition to being exposed to HPV:

• Low defenses or weak immune system.
• Poor hygiene habits in the feet, such as sharing shoes, going barefoot in public places, etc.

Next, we explain how to remove fish eyes on feet and hands, since it is where they usually appear and can be treated in the same way.

Normally, the most effective and safest treatment for plantar warts to disappear in a short time is the use of specific medications and therapies. Specifically, these are the best medications and therapies to remove fish eyes on the feet and hands:

Cryotherapy

When wondering how to remove a fisheye from your hand or foot, keep in mind that the treatment usually recommended by doctors is cryotherapy or application of liquid nitrogen to the wart. Also known as freezing therapy, it consists precisely in the fact that the effect of liquid nitrogen on the wart causes it to “die”, since blood stops reaching it when the tissue of the wart itself and the tissue around it freezes.

After applying it, it is left to act for a while and then the podiatrist will remove the dead skin and the remains of fish eyes with the help of a scalpel or another somewhat sharp blade, such as scissors, always using gloves.

Trichloroacetic or bichloroacetic acid

This acid is widely used to eliminate plantar warts, but its application can only be done in medical centers, such as podiatrists’ offices. The reason is that they are very caustic agents, which cause burns, so they can only be applied by a doctor and only in the specific area. After its application and action, the specialist will perform the cleaning, as we have mentioned before, to remove the fish eyes.

Salicylic acid

This other type of acid can be applied at home without problems, or it can be done regularly by the doctor. It is considered a very safe method, although slower than others, and eliminates the layers of skin on which it is applied and helps to remove the fish eye, in addition to stimulating the defenses. It is also necessary to scrape off the dead skin to remove the remains and that the treatment can progress until the warts are completely eliminated. Treatment usually lasts between 2 and 3 months.

Cauterization

It is a minor surgery that the doctor performs in the clinic, and can be done in the office since it does not require general anesthesia, in which the area around the wart is cauterized to extract it, eliminating it at the root.

Laser therapy

It is another minor intervention in which the specialist doctor limits the blood vessels that the fish eye has, so that it does not receive oxygen or nutrients, so that in a short time the wart dries up and can be removed very easily.

Immune therapy

It is about, on the one hand, helping the patient to increase their defenses so that their immune system can better fight against the virus and, on the other hand, in the application of substances that stimulate the action of the immune system on warts directly .

To remove the fish eyes on feet, either on the fingers or on the soles, you can use various home and natural remedies, which are also applicable to flat and black warts that appear on the hands, since they are the same type as those on the feet. Take note of the best home remedies to remove plantar warts:

Garlic for plantar warts

Garlic It is one of the foods most used as a natural remedy due to its great antibiotic, antiseptic, antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties. Specifically, due to its antiviral and antiseptic capacity, it is indicated to help in the treatment of fish eyes on the feet, in addition its antifungal and antibacterial power will help prevent opportunistic infections of fungi and bacteria that aggravate the problem.

Simply crush a clove of garlic and apply it directly to the warts, covering the area with gauze and tape, to let it act for at least an hour, before removing it and washing the area well. You can do it 2 times a day daily until they disappear.

Tea tree oil

The tea tree oil It is another well-known remedy, as this oil has a great antibacterial, antibiotic, antifungal, antiviral, antiseptic and analgesic capacity. You have to apply a few drops to each wart and cover the area with gauze and tape or a band-aid, leaving it to act for several hours, maximum 4 hours in a row. Remove the coverage and clean the area, removing parts of dead skin if there are any. You can apply it a maximum of 2 times a day during the days that it is necessary.

Lemon and vinegar

These two common ingredients in cooking also have antiseptic and antibacterial properties, making them good for helping to treat fish eyes on feet and hands. However, their effectiveness by themselves in these cases is not very high, so it is convenient to mix them with other remedies, such as garlic, or to intersperse them with medical treatments. Apply a few drops on the affected skin, cover the area, leave it covered for a couple of hours and when you remove it, wash the skin well.

Scotch tape

This home remedy may seem strange at first, but it is effective as a reinforcement of other treatments, not on its own. It involves putting a piece of adhesive tape in the area of ​​the wart, ensuring that it is well covered, and leaving it on for several hours, then carefully remove it, scrape off the remains of skin and wart, leave the area uncovered for a couple of hours and re-cover with masking tape. It can be done a maximum of 5 days a week and for 1 month or month and a half.

It can be used to cover some of the remedies mentioned above, as it will help to have a greater concentration of the effects of the remedies in this area of ​​the foot by preventing its ventilation for a time.

Aspirin

Aspirin is acetylsalicylic acid and as we have seen in the previous section on medical treatments, salicylic acid works by effectively eliminating warts. Although treatment with aspirin will be slower than with salicylic acid itself, because in this medicine it is mixed with more components, it can be used to reduce fish eyes and eliminate the small ones.

It is recommended to dilute an aspirin pill in half a finger of water, apply it to the affected areas, let it act for 30 minutes, remove with plenty of water and scrape the skin to remove dead cells and residues. It can be done 2 times a day for as long as necessary.

All these home remedies are effective complemented by each other or as complement to medical treatment with therapies of the previously commented. In case of using any medical therapy, it is necessary to first consult with the doctor who applies it if any of these remedies can be used additionally in each particular case.

There are several aspects to take into account to prevent fish eyes on the feet, either for the first time or to prevent their reappearance. These are some tips to prevent fish eyes or warts on feet:

• Avoid wearing inappropriate footwear, which …