What Are Warts?
These are small, noncancerous skin growths that appear when your skin is infected with the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) or other subtypes of this virus. While they can develop anywhere, hands or feet are the most commonly affected. The virus stimulates extra cell growth, making the outer layer of the skin thick in that spot.
What Are the Different Types of Warts?
The following are the more common types of warts:
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Common Warts: They are associated with Human Papillomavirus types 2, 4 (most common), 1, 3, 27, 29, and 57.
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Flat Warts: Types 3, 10, and 28 cause flat warts.
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Palmoplantar Warts: They are caused by types 1 (most common) followed by types 2, 3, 4, 27, and 57.
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Cystic Warts: They are caused by type 60.
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Focal Epithelial Hyperplasia: It is caused by types 13 and 32.
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Butcher's Warts: These warts are caused by type 7.
Who Are the Most Affected?
Warts are more common among whites than in blacks or Asians. Warts occur equally in both males and females. Kids and teenagers get more warts than adults because of their weaker immune systems. People with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) or AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency virus) or those on drugs for conditions like psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease are also more susceptible.
How Do Warts Spread?
Warts thrive in moist or injured skin. They are highly contagious and mainly transmitted by direct skin-to-skin contact, such as by picking at warts and touching another body area. They can also spread by sharing personal articles such as towels, razors, or touching objects contaminated with the virus. The virus quickly catches people if they accidentally cut or damage their skin. People with chronic skin conditions, eczema, or nail-biting habits are prone to warts. Sexual intercourse causes genital warts. Also, chewing on nails with warts and chewing on other nails generates warts to spread to other areas.
What Are the Symptoms of Warts?
Warts usually vary in appearance and may appear as dome-shaped, rough, flat, and skin, black, brown, or gray-colored.
How Are Warts Diagnosed?
A doctor can diagnose quickly by looking at the bumps on the skin. In some cases, a laboratory diagnosis is needed, and the doctor may take a sample of the skin growth (biopsy) to test for the virus.
How Are Warts Treated?
The treatment depends on the person’s symptoms, preferences, and cost. Although there are many treatments for warts, none is very effective, and the chances of recurrences are more with each of them. Therefore, topical agents are always advised first.
Pharmacological:
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Salicylic acid is often a first-line agent to treat common warts. It requires no prescription and can be used at home.
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Retinoic acid, Imiquimod cream (immunomodulator), topical 5-Fluorouracil, interferon, and Imiquimod are also used to treat warts.
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Cidofovir is used to treat Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections in people with HIV. In addition, case reports suggest it may benefit people with recalcitrant warts (which fail to respond after several months of conventional treatment).
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5-Fluorouracil is effective against actinic keratosis and warts under occlusion.
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The vitamin A derivative, Tretinoin, is a good choice against flat warts.
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Systemic treatments include Cidofovir, Cimetidine, and retinoids.
Surgical:
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Cryotherapy: There are many methods of using liquid nitrogen. Cryotherapy is highly effective and can make warts on the hands go away more quickly. The procedure involves freezing the wart by applying liquid nitrogen to it. Liquid nitrogen destroys the cells in the top layer of the skin. It is mainly done by dipping a cotton swab in the liquid nitrogen and holding it against the wart for a few seconds. This substance can also be sprayed onto the wart using a small nozzle. This process is repeated several times, with at least one week's breaks between sessions.
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Curettage: This treatment involves scraping warts off using a particular instrument. The wart is first treated with a salicylic acid plaster or solution.
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Laser Surgery: The wart is heated and destroyed using a laser beam. The side-effect of this treatment is that it can cause scarring.
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Pulsed Dye Laser Treatment: This involves using a laser beam to heat and destroy the narrow blood vessels supplying blood to the wart to stop the skin cells from multiplying.
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Erbium YAG Laser: It is a laser treatment that destroys the wart cells by strongly heating the fluid in them for a short time.
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Photodynamic Therapy: In this treatment, a gel is applied to the wart and left for about three hours. The gel contains a chemical substance that is activated by light so that it can destroy the wart tissue.
Home Remedies:
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Apple Cider Vinegar: Vinegar has natural antimicrobial properties that may help fight the Human Papillomavirus.
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Banana Peel: The Potassium in banana peel effectively fights Human Papillomavirus.
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Garlic: Garlic has "allicin," which has microbial effects. It destroys enzymes in harmful pathogens.
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Orange Peel: Rubbing an orange peel on the wart can be very helpful. As a result, the wart will change color, darken, then fall off, which may take two weeks or more.
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Dandelion Weed: Dandelion milk, or sap, has antimicrobial components and is a traditional remedy for skin diseases like warts.
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Castor Oil: Castor oil has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.
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Duct Tape: It is a common home remedy that removes the infected skin over time. It is cheap and readily available.
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Tea Tree Oil: It is a powerful antimicrobial remedy. The oil has antiviral properties that may also help get rid of warts. Always dilute it first.
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Aloe Vera: The gel may provide relief if you have an itchy scalp. Aloe vera gel can fight pathogens, including viruses.
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Aspirin: Aspirin may also get rid of warts. Aspirin has a similar effect to salicylic acid. Crush some aspirin tablets, mix with water, apply the paste on the wart, and cover with a bandage overnight.
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Bee Propolis: Honey bees produce a resin-like substance called propolis. Propolis has antimicrobial properties and is used to treat acne and herpes simplex virus infection, heal infected skin, and fight Human Papillomavirus.
What Is the Prognosis?
Mostly, warts are harmless skin growths that go away on their own. In most cases, warts spontaneously disappear on their own within 6 to 12 months for children, but for adults, it may take up to two years to resolve. Plantar warts are more difficult to cure than warts in other places. Warts can reoccur. Infection with certain types of Human Papillomavirus can increase women's cervical cancer risk.
What Are the Possible Complications of Verruca Vulgaris?
Most warts resolve on their own without any significant problems. However, some warts can cause issues, including:
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Cancer: Some types of HPV and genital warts are associated with several different cancers, like anal cancer, cervical cancer, and throat (oropharyngeal) cancer.
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Disfigurement: People with weakened immune systems can develop clusters of warts on the hands, face, and body that may look unappealing.
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Infection: Infections can occur if the wart is picked or cut. Cracks or breaks in the skin may allow bacteria to enter and cause infections.
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Pain: Most warts are harmless. But plantar warts may grow inward into the foot and cause pain to walk on.
How Are Warts Prevented?
To prevent warts:
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Avoid touching a wart on another person's skin. Wash hands carefully if a wart is touched mistakenly.
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Wear socks or shoes to prevent plantar warts.
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Use condoms to reduce the transmission of genital warts.
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Stop the habit of nail-biting or picking at cuticles.
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Ask healthcare professionals about screening for precancerous lesions.
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Avoid shaving over a wart.
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Avoid shaving or picking at a wart.
Conclusion
Most of the time, warts are harmless and often go away naturally. Unfortunately, natural home remedies have little or no reliable scientific evidence to back them up. However, some people claim that these remedies have worked for them. Because natural home remedies can cause skin irritation, always do a patch test first.
