What Is that Grainy Bump on the Bottom of My Foot?

Uncomfortable to walk on and sometimes painful, bumps on the feet can be a real nuisance. Read on to find out what those bumps might be, what could be causing them, and how you can remove them as soon as possible.

Uncomfortable to walk on, and sometimes painful, grainy bumps on the feet are of no real danger to your overall health. However, they can be a real bother.

Grainy bumps on the feet are usually plantar warts, which are growths caused by exposure to the HPV virus on the feet. You usually catch the virus if you have cracks on your feet and walk barefoot in public places where there's also a lot of humidity. Lockers and public pools are typically the places where people become infected with HPV on their feet.

Dr. Kenneth Meisler, our expert, has more than four decades of experience in foot and ankle care and is one of the few specialists who offers pulsed dye laser treatments to eliminate warts. Below, we asked Dr. Meisler to explain what causes those grainy bumps on the feet, how to prevent them, and how to treat them.

Plantar wart causes and prevention

Plantar warts are usually fleshy and grainy and can appear anywhere on the foot, especially the sole. Because the virus that causes them thrives in humid environments, your best bet is to ensure your feet are dry and you don’t walk barefoot in public areas.

Warts can also spread if you scratch and the wart starts bleeding, as the virus is within the blood of the infected wart. Sometimes plantar warts go away on their own, but they may take as long as a year or two to disappear.

When plantar warts are problematic

Warts can cause a lot of discomfort, and if they’re itchy or big, it’s only a matter of time until scratching them releases blood from the wart, which increases the chance of the virus spreading.

Covering the wart and washing your hands after touching it is also a must to prevent it from spreading.

Aside from being a risk for diabetics and people who have weakened immune systems, plantar warts should prompt a medical visit for anyone who develops them.

Get rid of your treatment-resistant warts with us

If you’ve already sought help for your warts with no success, or if you want to be sure your wart is gone for good as soon as possible, Dr. Meisler can help.

He often receives referrals from other specialists who couldn’t remove warts using nitrogen freezing, injections, and microwave treatments. Dr. Meisler’s pulsed dye laser treatment is covered by most insurance plans and is by far the most effective treatment for warts.