Embarrassed about the bumpy, rough protrusion on your skin? Well, that is called a wart. Viruses cause these non-cancerous skin growths on the top layer of the skin. These viruses are called human papillomavirus (HPV). Warts are usually skin-colored and are rough to touch, but in some people they can be dark, flat and smooth. These warts grow on different parts of the body; more common on the fingers, hands, and feet but most of them are harmless. Children tend to get infected easily. They spread by direct contact, simply by touching the wart. Most warts heal within weeks or months, but sometimes they may even take years. It all depends on the person's immune system. Those having immune-related diseases such as AIDS and lymphoma, or who are under chemotherapy, take longer time to heal. Types of warts: There are several different kinds of warts: * Common warts - These warts usually grow on the fingers, around the nails, hands, elbows, knees, and on the backs of the hands. They usually appear where skin has been broken - like where fingernails are bitten. They are hard and small. These are also called "seed" warts, because the blood vessels to the wart produce black dots that look like seeds. * Foot warts - These warts appear on the soles of the feet. They are also called plantar warts. They can be very uncomfortable and painful while walking, because the pressure of walking causes them to get flattened and pushed back into the skin. * Flat warts - These warts are smaller and smoother than other warts and so they are called juvenile warts. They grow in large numbers - 20 to 100. They most commonly grow on children's faces. In adults, they are often found in the beard area in men, and on the legs in women. * Filiform warts - These warts are finger shaped and are usually flesh-colored. They are common in areas around the mouth, eyes, or nose. Treatment: You need to go to a Dermatologist to get rid of warts. Depending on the type of warts and the age of the patient, various treatments are used. Laser treatment is the most common. This treatment is expensive. An injection of a local anesthesia is used to numb the area treated. An anti-cancer drug called bleomycin is also used to treat warts; however, this treatment is painful and may cause side effects. Immunotherapy is another treatment where the body's own rejection system is used. In one of the methods, the patient is made allergic to a certain chemical which is then applied. After some time, an allergic reaction occurs around the area and the wart may disappear. Dermatologists also inject interferon to boost the immune reaction which may cause rejection of the wart. Luckily for children, warts may disappear over time, without taking any treatment. However, they can be bothersome and painful - if they rapidly multiply then they should be treated. So, next time you see warts appearing on your skin, do not panic or get disturbed. They are just a viral skin infection which with proper care can be treated. |
