Common Warts
All warts are caused by a virus called HUMAN PAPILLOMA VIRUS (HPV). This virus has about 100 types and is very contagious. It enters the body through the small cracks and breaks of the body. The virus can affect any person, male or female, young or cold. They can remain latent in the body for months before showing and symptoms. It depends on the strength of the immune system on whether the warts appear or not. If a person has strong immune system then the virus would be contained but in very rare cases only the virus can be removed from the body. There are many types of warts and warts appear in different parts of the body.
There are:
o common or seed warts,
o foot or plantar warts,
o fillform warts,
o genital warts,
o Oral warts.
Of these different types of warts, common warts, as its name depicts, occurs most often. These warts are also called seed warts because sometimes little black dots appear on the warts because of blood clotting. These warts grow mostly on the hand near the finger nails and fingers. They are painless and non-cancerous and usually small bumps. They may be skin colored, pink, white or tan. Common warts are rough to touch and may appear in clusters. There are small and big warts and when the warts are small, the clusters are more. One can find up to 100 warts in this case. Teenagers and children are mostly affected by common warts because they pick on the warts and the virus can be easily transmitted. Sharing of towels and other objects can pass the virus.
Common warts disappear on their own after sometime but they are ugly to look at and can cause disturbances. In such cases, if the person wishes, the common warts can be treated or removed from the hands. Some treatments for removing common warts are:
o Cryotherapy or freezing of the warts using liquid nitrogen.
o Cantharidin is a substance found in a particular beetle. This chemical causes blisters from deep within.
o Surgical excision: the doctor removes the warts using the usual tools.
o Electrodessication: with the help of electric current, the warts are cut off fro the skin.
o Laser therapy: intense light beams are used to remove the warts.
o Immunotherapy: this includes using topical medicines containing imiquimod or injection of interferon-alfa medications o the skin.
o Topical medicines like podofilix, podophyllum resin, trichloroacetin acid, bleomycin and rentinoids are also very effective against common warts.
o There are also home remedies for removing warts. The most popular are the use of salicylic acid on the warts and the method of taping the warts using duct tapes.