Despite the fact that warts are quite common in both adults and children, there still seems to be a general misunderstanding about what exactly warts are, what causes them and how they can be treated.
There are numerous skin conditions that affect millions of Americans each year. Some are more serious than others. One relatively harmless condition is warts. While warts are not generally considered dangerous, they are by far the most common skin condition. In fact, it is estimated that 80 million Americans will develope some form of warts at least once in their lifetime.
What Are Warts?
Warts are nothing more than minor growths that occur on the top layer of the skin skin. They are usually caused by the Human Papillomavirus which can easily enter the skin through a small break such as a minor cut or scrape. While there are approximately 130 different types of HVP, some of them more dangerous than others, the type that causes warts on the skin is considered to be benign. In other words, it does not cause cancer or have any other adverse effects.
There are thought to be over 100 different types of warts with about 70 variations that can be transmitted by non-sexual means. Some types of warts include Planter's warts (found on the bottom of the feet), flat warts which, as the name suggests, are flat in appearance and typically show up grouped together, and Periungual warts which appear around or under the nail.
While warts can show up on just about any part of the body, they are most common on the hands, feet, neck and face. In most cases, the only time that warts can cause harm is when they appear on the eyelids (this can cause blindness in extreme cases) or on the bottom of your feet which can result in moderate to severe pain as a result from walking on it. In most cases though, the only complaint that people have about warts is their ugly appearance.
How Are Warts Spread?
Warts are spread from person to person. This can result not only from direct contact, but also handling an object such as a towel or pencil after someone who has warts as well. While they are spread by touch, some people are more susceptible to warts than others. In other words, while you might get a wart after touching a doorknob after someone that has a one, other people could touch a wart directly and never get one themselves. Nobody is quite sure why this is but it's generally thought that it has to do with the overall health of an individual and the condition of their skin.
Treating And Removing Warts
While it's true that the vast majority of warts don't pose a danger or cause any sort of pain, most people still want them removed. After all, nobody wants to walk around with an ugly blemish on their hands or face. Luckily, their are a number of over the counter options for safely removing warts. One method for safely removing warts is to apply salicylic-acid which can be found in special drops, gels, and pads. Salicylic-acid can be used to treat many types of warts, from small to large. Salicylic acid dissolves the protein (keratin), which is what most of the wart and the dead skin around it consist of. This method is generally effective but can sometimes take up to two months to remove the wart entirely.
Another way to get rid of warts fast is to use an over the counter aerosol spray. These sprays freexe the wart which causes it to eventually fall off. This is exactly the same typw of treatment that a dermatologist will use, the only difference being that an over the counter spray is usually 70 degrees below zero while your doctor will use liquid nitrogen which is generally about 320 degrees below zero. Obviously having it removed by your doctor will go a bit faster.
Meanwhile, if you don't mind the appearance of your wart, you can just wait it out. Most warts will eventually go away on their own. However, while this can happen after a month or two, warts can sometimes last for several years as well.
Whatever option you eventually decide on, you should consult a doctor, at least at the beginning, to make sure that you haven't misidentified another more serious condition as simply wart. Once you know what you're dealing with, you can decide for yourself what you want to do about it
