"Hey doc, what's this thing on my foot?"
Warts are a common complaint in primary care offices. These nasty little bumps can be difficult to treat and cause discomfort or embarrassment. Luckily, there are several good treatments available.
replica clothingWarts are caused by the human papillomavirus, a virus that invades skin cells. Over 100 known different strains of HPV exist. Some strains can cause cervical cancer, but the type of wart we're talking about comes from a totally different HPV subtype.
Warts can be spread by direct contact. If someone touches your wart, they can pick up the virus. The virus also lives on objects like towels or floors that have been in contact with the wart. That's one good reason to wear shoes in public areas like locker rooms and swimming pools.
So what can you do about your wart? You could do nothing, since many will go away without treatment. It may take months, or even years for them to heal. And some never do disappear.
If your warts are causing pain or irritation, or if they just won't go away, you could try an over-the-counter product. Most contain some form of salicylic acid. This is a topical liquid that can be placed directly on the wart. It also comes on pads or strips that you can put over the wart to cover it up.
The best time to use these products is right after a bath or shower. While the wart is soft, file it down with an emery board. Be sure you don't use the same emery board for anything else, or you may spread the virus. When the wholesale colthing top layers have been removed, the medication can penetrate deeper and work more effectively.
You will need to be persistent. It can take several weeks for the wart to go away. And keep going until the whole thing is gone. The virus actually lives underneath the wart, so it can come back if you stop treating it too soon.
When over-the-counter treatments aren't strong enough, you may need to see your doctor. Many doctors use liquid nitrogen to freeze a wart. This is called cryotherapy. The theory is that by freezing the wart it becomes irritated enough to activate your immune system. Your body releases substances to heal the frozen tissue; these substances destroy the wart and kill the virus in the process.
Several treatments
embroidered patches may be needed to remove the entire wart. Another option is to use a medication like cantharadin. These medications are liquids that your doctor paints onto the skin. After several hours the wart may blister and peel off. If these treatments don't work, your doctor may want to try a different treatment.
Other options include burning, using a laser or cutting out the wart. More aggressive methods can leave a scar, so they usually are reserved for larger or more difficult warts. Unfortunately, no wart treatment has a 100 percent cure rate, so success may mean trial and error, or sometimes plain old luck
There are many home remedies that I've heard about from patients. Duct tape, pennies, wishing ... there are some creative ideas out there. Several years ago, someone actually did a study on using duct tape for warts. The study didn't show any benefit, but I know some people still swear by that method. Whatever treatment you use, you may have to be persistent and try a few different options. If you still haven't had success, ask your doctor for more information.
(Dr. Laura Archuleta is a family physician at the St. Alexius Center for Family Medicine in M
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