Warts are ugly growths on the skin that can cause pain and embarrassment, depending upon where they are located. Caused by a common virus, warts can appear anywhere on the body and are often difficult to remove without medical assistance. While some people are immune to the wart virus, most people will experience these nuisances at some point in their lives.
Significance
Warts are bumps on the skin caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). While warts can grow on all areas of the body, they are commonly seen on feet and hands. Warts can be spread if an uninfected person touches an infected person's wart or uses an item that an infected person has touched.
Types
Common warts typically grow on toes, knees and fingers. They are rounded, rough warts and contain black "seeds" produced by the blood vessels feeding the warts. Plantar warts grow on the soles of the feet and may cause pain when walking. A group of plantar warts are called mosaic warts. Although plantar warts may initially look like common warts, they often become flat due to the stress put on them by walking. Warts around finger or toe nails are called periungul warts, while genital warts occur around the anus and genitals. Filiform warts, "witch" , grow on long stems and are frequently seen on the face. Flat warts can also grow on the face and are likely to occur in groups. These warts can develop anywhere on the body and it is thought that razor blade irritation can contribute to the formation of these warts on the face.
Features
Some warts may only be bothersome because their appearance embarrasses you, but other may hurt and even bleed when bumped. Warts can eventually disappear without treatment, although this is less likely to occur in adults. Doctors treat warts in several ways, the most common method being freezing. When a wart is frozen, liquid nitrogen is applied to the surface, which gradually erodes the wart. Freezing usually requires multiple treatments. The chemical cantharidin may also be used by your doctor. A few hours after application, you'll see the wart begin to blister and may experience some pain. The wart is then covered with a bandage and the dead skin is later removed by your doctor. This method does not always work with stubborn warts. Laser treatments for warts are used for warts that do not resolve using other methods. Cutting and burning the wart are other removal methods, although less drastic methods are usually tried first.
Considerations
If your wart is not painful or bleeding, there are a number of remedies you can try at home to banish the wart. Salicylic acid, found in drugstore wart removers, is applied every day for several weeks and works to remove the wart layer by layer. This method is not effective for all warts. Covering the wart with duct tape is another wart removal method you can try at home. After the wart is soaked in water, the top layer is removed with an emery board or pumice stone and covered with duct tape. The process is repeated nightly until the wart disappears. Other home remedies include applying such substances as banana skins, raw meat, lemon slices, vitamin E or aloe vera to the wart. While most of these remedies will do no harm, it is not known if they actually have an effect on the wart or if the wart disappears on its own.
Warning
Genital warts should be evaluated and treated by a doctor. These warts are contagious and can be passed to sexual partners. Genital warts are usually treated by freezing. If genital warts are untreated, they can turn into abnormal cells, which have the potential to develop into cancer in some cases.
Tags: , anywhere body, cause pain, covered with, duct tape, Genital warts