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Warts Removal - Symptoms and Warts Treatment

Warts, or verrucae (singular: verruca), are benign growths on the skin or mucous membranes that cause cosmetic problems as well as pain and discomfort. They are seen on people of all ages but most commonly appear in children and teenagers. The incubation period of a wart is 2 to 9 months following infection with the human papilloma virus (HPV), during which time an excessive proliferation of skin growth slowly develops.

They appear most often on the fingers, hands and arms. They are common in athletes who share locker facilities and have close personal contact with each other. Fortunately, more than 50 percent of them disappear on their own within two years.

Causes

Invasion of the outer skin layer (epidermis) by the papilloma virus. The virus stimulates some cells to grow more rapidly than normal. Warts are very common. By adulthood, 90% of all people have antibodies to the virus, indicating a history of at least one wart infection.

Warts can take a wide variety of appearances: tiny flesh colored lumps, sometimes with a dark core, thin and frond-like often on the neck and face, flat and soft, or hard and pebble- like on the soles of the feet. In warm moist areas such as the genitalia, they may grow exuberantly, causing large accumulations achieving impressive sizes.

Signs and symptoms

A small, raised bump on the skin with the following characteristics:

• Warts begin very small (1 mm to 3mm) and grow larger.
• Numerous small, smooth, flat (pinhead sized) lesions on forehead, cheeks, arms, or legs
• They are usually the same color as the skin, but sometimes darker.
• Warts often appear in clusters around a "mother wart."
• If you cut into the wart surface, it contains small black ,dots or bleeding points.
• Rough growths around or under fingernails or toenails
• Warts are painless and don't itch.

Diagnosis

Warts can generally be diagnosed simply by their location and appearance. Your doctor may want to cut into a wart (called a biopsy) to confirm that it is not a corn, callus, or other similar-appearing growth.

Treatment

Medical Treatment

• Cryotherapy (freezing cells to destroy them). This is an office procedure that doesn't require anesthesia or cause bleeding. Freezing stings or hurts slightly during application, and pain may increase a bit after thawing. 3 to 5 weekly treatments may be necessary to destroy the wart.
• Salicylic acid comes as drops, gels, pads, and plasters. They are designed to apply to all kinds of warts, from teeny little ones to great big lumpy ones. Salicylic acid is a keratolytic, which means it dissolves the protein (keratin), which makes up most of both your wart and the thick layer of dead skin that often tops it.
• Electrosurgery (using heat to destroy cells). This treatment can usually be completed in one office visit, but healing takes longer, and secondary bacterial infections and scarring are more common.

Medication - Your doctor may prescribe chemicals, such as mild salicylic acid, Retin-A Gel or Cream, 1% fluorouracil, or Duofilm (a one-time overnight treatment using a mixture of collodion and lactic acid) to destroy warts.

Home treatment to get rid of common warts

• If you have electrosurgery, keep the treatment site clean with soap and water. Cover will an adhesive bandage, if you wish.
• If you have cryotherapy, a blister (sometimes with blood) will develop at the treatment site. The roof of the blister will come off without further treatment in 10 to 14 days. You should have little or no scarring. Wash and use make-up or cosmetics as usual. If clothing irritates the blister, cover with a small adhesive bandage.

Prevention

• After touching any of your warts, wash your hands carefully.
• To keep from spreading warts, don't scratch them. Warts spread readily to small cuts and scratches.
• Avoid direct skin contact with a wart on someone else.

Related topic

• Home remedies for warts
• Plantar Warts