Warts definition

Warts are actually benign tumors of the epidermis caused by a virus that enters the body through a break in the skin. The virus responsible is the human papillomavirus (HPV), a double-stranded DNA virus, there are at least 60 types of HPV viruses. The virus grows in warm, moist environments, such as those created in a locker room or in your shoes when your feet perspire and the moisture is trapped. Different sub-types of HPV cause different types of warts, inside of your mouth, on your genitals and on your rectal area. The appearance of a wart depends on where it is growing, warts are usually skin colored and feel rough to the touch, but can be dark, flat or smooth.

They can be annoying especially if are place on hands and interfere with day-to-day activities or with nail growth. And some kids get self-conscious about them, which is natural enough, since they can be unsightly. But the only warts that cause outright pain (usually) are those that appear on the feet (plantar warts) basically for the pressure of walking.

Warts may be contagious by touching the warts or from using towels or other objects that were used by a person who has warts also the person can be susceptible to warts, people who have immune-related diseases such as AIDS and lymphoma, or who are taking chemotherapy tend to have more warts that last longer than children. The time between the first contact and the time that the warts can be seen is often several months its direct related with the immune system .

Types of Warts

There are four common kinds of warts Common warts, Foot warts, Flat warts, Genital warts.

Common warts: They use to grow around the nails, on the fingers, on the backs of the hands, knees, and elbows. They are more common where skin has been broken, for example where fingernails are bitten or hangnails picked. They are a small, hard bump that's dome-shaped and usually grayish-brown. It has a rough surface that may look like the head of a cauliflower, with black dots inside.

Foot warts or plantar warts: Plantar warts are a common skin infection on the bottom (plantar) side of your foot. About 10 percent of teenagers have plantar warts. Using a public shower increases your risk for develop it. When plantar warts grow in clusters they are known as mosaic warts and often have black dots that are actually blood vessels and bad reputation because they can be painful, feeling like a stone in the shoe, and are often difficult to resolve.

Flat warts or juvenile warts: are smaller and smoother than other warts, and has the size of a pinhead; they may be pink, light brown, or yellow . They tend to grow in great numbers - 20 to 100 at any one time. They can occur anywhere, but in children they are most common on the face. In adults they are often found in the beard area in men and on the legs in women. Irritation from shaving probably accounts for this.

Filiform warts: These have a finger-like shape, are usually flesh-colored, and often grow on or around the mouth, eyes, or nose.

Genital warts (also called condyloma): are one of the most common causes of sexually transmitted infection. Its appearance is soft, not rough, moist, flesh colored and scaly. They sometimes appear in clusters that resemble cauliflower-like bumps, and can be raised or flat, small or large. The HPVs that cause genital warts rarely cause warts of the hands or feet. Genital warts have been linked to cancer of the genital area.

Preventive Care

Stop the spread. Warts are contagious and picking at them can spread them to other parts of the body. To prevent that you shouldn't be touched or scratched. Warts on the hands can easily wind up on the face, nose and mouth from scratching and biting the fingernails.

Simple hygiene Rules to prevent warts virus

Furnish shower footwear. It's a simple matter, to avoid picking up the wart virus in the shower or in the locker room at the pool or gym use shower thongs or sandals (flip-flops) in the shower.

Assign personal laundry. Because warts are contagious, person with warts shouldn't share towels with anyone else. To avoid spread the virus assign to each person his or her own matching towel and washcloth. You will make easier for kids choose bright colors or designs that are distinguishable or, better yet, let your children pick out the towels themselves. And remind your children not to share shoes or slippers--or any clothing for that matter, unless they have been freshly laundered.

Attack the virus. Household disinfectants such as Lysol or chlorine bleach will attack the virus on bathroom floors or showers. Normal laundering in warm water with detergent will take care of the virus on towels and clothing.

Stress & warts Slow down the pace. People who tend to get warts when they're under a lot of stress or eating poorly are more affected to develop warts. If you have a tendency to get warts and are leading a hectic lifestyle, it can't hurt to slow down the pace a bit and make sure you are eating well.

Treatments

Warts will eventually go away all by themselves, although it could take months or even years. If you can stand them, just leave it alone.

Before deciding to actively treat a wart yourself, check with your doctor to be sure that what's growing is indeed a harmless wart. If your doctor has confirmed that these growths are warts and are candidates for home treatment, you may decide it's time for more drastic action. Enter the over-the-counter wart removal products. There are many choices, including Wart-Off, Compound W and Trans-Plantar.

Any treatment may also decrease the chance that the warts will be spread to other areas of your body or to other people.

To consider

It's important to remember, however, that most of these products are mild acids and work by burning the skin. For this reason, you should not use an over-the-counter product on children under six years old. If you do decide to use one, you should read directions carefully and follow them to the letter. It's also a good idea to coat the area around the wart with petroleum jelly to avoid getting the acid on healthy skin .

Warts Treatment

A wide array of wart removers comes in liquid form. All you do is drip the remover onto the wart. Look for products that list salicylic acid as the active ingredient…They all come in various strengths-up to 40 percent salicylic acid. 'For younger children, it's best to select a lower concentration, such as 17 percent, because their skin is more delicate.

Another option is wart remover pads or disks that may be easier to use on squirming children than liquids. These can be cut to the size of the wart and then placed directly on top of it. The pad is treated with salicylic acid, so be sure to cut the pad no larger than the wart itself.

Another choice to get rid of warts and avoid scarring is use BIO SKIN CARE™ Cream on them. They will go away in a few days and the cream has no side effects.

No matter what over-the-counter product you choose, you may have to use it for a couple of weeks before the wart begins to vanish. But you shouldn't apply a nonprescription treatment indefinitely. If I didn't see some results from an over-the-counter treatment in two weeks I'd scoot in and see my family doctor or dermatologist. A plantar wart in particular may be a painful problem that needs further attention.

Chemical treatments

Other medicines may be applied to warts or injected into them include lactic acid, trichloroacetic acid (TCA), formalin, glutaraldehyde, cantharidin, podophyllin, Retin-A, and bleomycin. These treatments should be supervised by a health care provider.

Liquid nitrogen Your doctor may use liquid nitrogen to freeze the wart. This treatment is called cryotherapy. A physician applies liquid nitrogen as a spray or on a cotton swab to the wart. This freezes and kills the effected cells. The connective tissue is not destroyed; therefore, the lesion usually heals without significant scarring. The human papillomavirus is not killed by cryotherapy and is released into the surrounding tissue. This treatment causes a little discomfort. To completely remove a wart, liquid nitrogen treatments may be needed every 1 to 3 weeks for a total of 2 to 4 times. If no improvement is noted, your doctor may recommend another type of treatment. Since blisters are painful to walk on, cryotherapy is not a first choice for warts on the bottom of the foot.