1. What are Warts?
Warts are common Human Papilloma virus infections which can happen at any age and can affect any area of the body.The appearance varies from Cauliflower like (in genital region) to flat or bumpy on other areas of the body.
2. How & when does the infection occur?
Warts are commonly seen in children and adolescents, but can be seen in any age, including adults who have poor immunity as seen in patients with diabetes, obesity, immunosuppression with medications or HIV infection, or patients who make poor lifestyle choices like smokers, recreational drug users etc. Children usually get the infection from other children due to overcrowding in schools, poor hygiene. Commonly adults get the infection by sharing clothes, towels, skin to skin contact from an infected person source of infection can also from be salons, beauty parlor, sharing clothes, towels or instruments. It can also develop over the genital areas, in adults through sexual contact.
3.What do warts look like?
Warts are painless, even when touched or manipulated and are seen as dry rough firm growths,but can also appear like a feather or a miniature fir tree with finger like projections. Common warts have a bumpy, cauliflower-like appearance. Plantar warts are the only type of warts that are painful, usually seen over the sole often have “black dots.” Flat warts are small, smooth, skin colored, and flat seen over face in adolescents & adults. When over the genitals, warts might appear fleshy and pink.
4.Why do we need to treat warts?
Even though warts doesn’t harm the body or affect the internal organs, it needs to be treated because it is a contagious infection and can keep spreading on the body of person affected or to others around him. Warts of very large size generally infecting the genitals can turn into cancerous growth or can cause carcinoma of cervix(in women) if left without treatment
5.What are the aggravating factors for Warts?
Warts increases in numbers due to scratching, injury, low immunity due to steroid treatment, Diabetes, obesity etc.
6.How are warts treated ?
The treatment options depend on the location and type of warts, like application of a wart medication (salicylic acid + lactic acid) at home over a 16 to 20 week period, freezing with liquid nitrogen (Cryotherapy), burning with Radiofrequency Cautery or CO2 laser. If there are many growths, multiple treatment sessions may be needed every 3-6 weeks until the growths are gone.
7.What if the Wart comes back after treatment?
If the patient skin resistance is good, warts usually do not reappear, but if the resistance is poor, it can reappear in the same place or nearby places within few weeks. Given the fact that the virus could be present at any area of the skin & is capable of causing future infections, treatment includes measures to prevent onset of new infections as well as treating the existing problem.