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Common warts
Common warts (verruca vulgaris) are skin bumps with rough surfaces and tiny black specks. They can occur anywhere in the body but most often on hands and fingers. The cause of common warts is exposure to and infection by the HPV virus. It can take up to 6 months for them to appear after viral exposure. Usually, common warts are benign. If left untreated, it can grow and is contagious through direct contact.
Symptoms
You develop small, rough, grainy growths with black or brownish specks within warts formed by tiny clotted blood vessels.
When to see a doctor
- Warts are painful and interfere with your daily life.
- Their appearance or color changes.
- They spread or recur, which may result from a weak immune system.
- You are not sure if they are warts.
Causes
The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the cause of common warts. The viral infection can occur through breaks in the skin, such as a scrape or hangnail. Direct contact with common warts or sharing personal items such as towels with an infected person can pass the infection to you. However, the immune response varies among people. Those with healthy immunity may not become infected despite contact with HPV.
Risk factors
- Age: Young children are prone to common warts because their immunity has not yet fully developed.
- Impaired immune system: People with organ transplants or HIV/AIDS or those who are taking immunosuppressants.
Prevention
To reduce your risk of common warts:
- Do not touch or pick at warts. Avoid brushing or shaving your skin around the warts.
- Use a disposable nail file for your warts to prevent spreading.
- Do not use a nail clipper exposed to warts to trim your other unaffected nails.
- Avoid biting your fingernails because the virus can enter the broken skin.
- Moisten your hands and feet for healthy skin, minimizing HPV exposure through cracked skin.
Diagnosis
A physical examination of the skin lesion suffices to make a diagnosis. Some warts may appear thick and lumpy and hard to identify. Your doctor will examine your wart by removing the top surface of the wart to look for the black dots, which are characteristics of common warts. The doctor may perform a shave biopsy to rule out other types of skin growth.
Treatment
Proper treatment can remove your wart and boost your immunity to fight the virus. A suitable treatment method depends on the wart's location, symptoms, and preference.
- Chemical peels by salicylic acid and other acids: The top layer of the wart will gradually dissolve by salicylic acid. You may feel a stinging or burning sensation. You will need to see your doctor for weekly treatment. This method works well when used together with cryotherapy.
- Cryotherapy: Applying liquid nitrogen to your wart causes blisters to form under and around the wart, and the dead skin will fall off within one week. Cryotherapy can also stimulate your immunity to fight the HPV virus. This method can be painful or cause discolored skin. It is not suitable for young children.
- Surgical removal: This method can remove the affected tissue and heal by scarring. It is the treatment of choice if your wart is large and not amenable to other treatment modalities.
- Electrocautery: The treated tissue will die and peel off. However, this method can be painful and leave a scar. Healing and wound care can take longer than cryotherapy.
Home remedies
If you do not have diabetes or a weakened immune system, you can try home remedies as follows:
- Daily use of the salicylic pad, ointment, or solution for a few weeks. Before applying the product, soak your wart in warm water. Use a disposable emery board to file dead skin between treatments. If skin irritation develops, use the product less often. Consult your doctor before use if you are pregnant.
- Liquid nitrogen in the form of spray or liquid
- Duct tape to cover the wart for six days. Then, soak your wart in warm water and remove dead skin with a disposable nail file. Leave the wart exposed to air for 12 hours and repeat the process.
Preparation
Before seeing your doctor, list the medications you have been using and questions you would like to ask your doctor. For example:
- What causes common warts?
- What types of treatment do you recommend? Are there any side effects?
- How can I prevent warts recurrence?
Your doctor may ask some questions, such as:
- How long have you had these warts?
- Have you ever had them before? If so, what treatment did you try?
- Do they interfere with your daily activities?
