Things to Know About Warts

Warts

What are warts?

Warts are a type of common skin condition that is caused by different strains of human papillomavirus (HPVs). When the skin becomes thickened for human papillomavirus infection, that condition is called warts. Wart usually looks like small bumps or small flesh colored small area. They may come on various shapes, sizes, and colors and most of them usually have uneven surface like cauliflower. They are harmless in nature but can cause irritation, pain, and itchiness. They normally go on their own after a certain time. However, if treated, they go away sooner.

What you should not do

For any kind of wart, you should never pick on them. Picking on them is like making the bad situation worse. When you pick on them, you are causing secondary viral infection as your nails become the host for transferring the germ to another place of your body or to another person.  

Often people try to remove wart using the method of freezing, cutting, burning, duct taping, or tweezing at home. You may have heard about people successfully removing warts in one of these way, but reality is – one in thousand have done it successfully and those who did it, got another complications afterwards.

General symptoms

Continuous itching and bleeding an area of the body are the symptoms of warts. However, in most cases, wart grows and develops inside the skin tissue without showing any symptoms at all.

Different types of wart

Depending on the shape and the place where they grow, warts are classified into several types. Each type is caused by different strains of human papillomavirus. The most common ones are genital, flat, filiform, periungual, flat, plantar, and common wart.

General preventive measures to avoid getting wart

Being cautious on personal hygiene is the best way to prevent wart from affecting you. Never walk on the floor of public toilet and locker room with bare foot. Places like these are highly likely to contain wart virus as used by many people.

Another thing is – use lotion or moisturizer to keep the skin face, sole, hands, and feet moisturized and smooth. Dry skin tends to get cracks, and cracks are the gateway for human papillomavirus that causes warts. Keep away from using other people’s personal stuff, like towel, shaving kit, and soap. If you see one of your friends is having wart, try to avoid skin-to-skin contact with that person.

Safe sex is always recommended to keep away from vaginal warts and other types of Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Eating healthy food that is rich in vitamin A and C regularly will strengthen your immune system, which will fight against the virus of wart from infecting.

Treatment options

Wart Treatment

There are different treatment options for wart. They include natural remedies, over-the-counter products, prescribed medicines and topical ointments by professional doctor and surgery. Although sometimes home remedies and over-the-counter products work but for safe and faster treatment, you should always see a doctor. Depending on the types of wart and the seriousness of the infection, doctor will guide you through the proper way of treatment.