Warts

At some point in people’s lives, warts are developed. Though a wart is considered to be a nuisance, it is harmless somehow. Warts affect most kids than adults. These are accounted to be due to HPV or the human papillomavirus. These viruses can act on any part of the body. But warts are commonly develop in the hands, fingers, and feet. They are painless save for those formed in the feet’s soles.

There are basically four types of warts: common warts, flat warts, plantar warts, and filiform warts. The common warts are those found on the hands, knees, fingers, and elbows. These warts are generally small in size, characterized by a hard bump, grayish-brown in color and dome-shaped. Its surface is rough with black dots.

Flat warts, or known as juvenile warts are smoother compared to the other types. They are about a pinhead’s size. They are flat tops, thus, the name. They can appear in light brown color, yellow, or even in pink. These can form in faces and also on the knees, arms, and hands and come in clusters.

A plantar wart are found on the foot’s sole. They are uncomfortable and to some point, painful. You may feel like walking on pebbles. The last type, the filiform warts are flesh-colored, and finger-like. They usually grow around a person’s mouth, nose or eyes. There are also warts that grow down under, in the genital area, called genital warts.

Touching a wart does not certify you will have one too. But the HPV that causes warts can be pass on by physical contacts. A tiny scratch or cut on a certain area of the skin makes it vulnerable to developing warts. If a kid picks on a wart, it is possible to disperse contamination to other areas of his or her body. It take some time for warts to develop. The time one is exposed to human papillomavirus to the development of wart may vary. Warts evolve slowly.

There is no sure way to stop a wart from forming in your skin. It is best to always remind your kids to keep washing their hands and their skin as often as necessary. If he or she has a scratch, wash it with clean water and soap. Open skin is prone to infections and warts. Have your child protect their feet from developing infections like athlete’s foot and plantar warts by wearing waterproof flip-flops or slippers or sandals especially in watery areas such as locker rooms, showers or even public swimming pools.

More commonly, warts will be gone after six months with no proper treatment. But for most cases, some go away after two to three years. Warts can be removed by some wart removal procedures but can re-appear if the source virus is not removed completely.

Since warts are generally painless and do not pose any threats, it is not all the time necessary to remove them. But for some cases, where others find some concerns and problems with their warts, they are extracted. Warts are sometimes removed too to avoid spread-out to other skin areas.

If you want your wart removed, consult a doctor. There are various methods in which a doctor treat a wart. Some of these are by prescribing medications, by burning the warts’ off with the use of a mild electrical current, by cryosurgery or freezing it with a liquid nitrogen, and by laser treatments. The last works well for difficult to remove warts.

After any of the treatments, the wart will just come off. A few treatments might be necessary. Doctors do not cut the warts from the skin to prevent scarring. Cutting off warts has the tendency for re-appearance.

Do not use over-the-counter medicines to remove warts on your genitals or face. Consult a doctor for any treatment of such. Watch out for any painful or swollen wart. If your wart is red or bleeding or discharging pus, it is enough reason to go to a doctor.