Warts: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

What is Warts?

Warts are small, grainy skin growths that appear most often on your hands or fingers. They are caused by a viral infection in the top layer of the skin. Warts are generally harmless and often disappear on their own, but they can be bothersome, painful, and unsightly. They can also spread to other parts of the body or to other people.

Warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). There are more than 100 types of HPV, and different types cause different kinds of warts. Some strains of HPV are associated with cervical cancer, but the types that cause warts are generally not the same as those that cause cancer.

Source: Mayo Clinic

Common Causes

Warts are caused by an infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV). The virus can be spread through direct contact with a wart or something that touched a wart. Here are some common causes and risk factors:

• Direct contact with HPV: Touching a wart on someone else or touching a surface that has been in contact with a wart.
• Damaged skin: Having cuts or scrapes on the skin increases the risk of developing warts.
• Weakened immune system: People with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to warts.
• Nail biting: Biting nails can cause small cuts around the nails, allowing the virus to enter.
• Walking barefoot: Walking barefoot in public places like locker rooms or swimming pools can increase the risk of plantar warts.
• Shaving: Shaving the face or legs can create small cuts that allow the virus to enter.
• Personal items: Sharing personal items like towels or razors with someone who has warts.
• Age: Children and young adults are more likely to develop warts.
• Occupation: People who handle meat, fish, or poultry are more prone to warts.
• Swimming pools: Frequent use of public swimming pools can increase exposure to HPV.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Associated Symptoms

Warts can appear anywhere on the body and can vary in appearance depending on their location. Here are some common symptoms associated with warts:

• Small, fleshy, grainy bumps: Warts often feel rough to the touch.
• Flesh-colored, white, pink, or tan: The color of warts can vary.
• Black pinpoints: These are small, clotted blood vessels that are common in warts.
• Pain or tenderness: Warts on the soles of the feet (plantar warts) can be painful when walking.
• Itching or bleeding: Warts can sometimes itch or bleed, especially if they are picked or scratched.
• Clustered growths: Warts can grow in clusters, especially around the nails or on the hands.
• Flat warts: These are small, smooth growths that can appear in large numbers on the face, legs, or other parts of the body.
• Filiform warts: These are long, thread-like growths that often appear on the face, especially around the mouth, eyes, or nose.

Source: National Health Service (NHS)

When to See a Doctor

While most warts are harmless and go away on their own, there are times when you should see a doctor:

• If the wart is painful or changes in appearance or color.
• If you have tried treating the wart at home but it persists, spreads, or recurs.
• If the wart bleeds or becomes infected.
• If you have a weakened immune system due to HIV/AIDS, organ transplant, or other conditions.
• If you are unsure whether the growth is a wart or another type of skin growth.
• If you have warts on your face or another sensitive part of your body.
• If you have diabetes and develop warts on your feet.

Source: American Academy of Dermatology (AAD)

Diagnosis

In most cases, your doctor can diagnose a wart simply by looking at it. However, in some cases, further tests may be needed:

• Physical examination: Your doctor will examine the wart and may ask about your medical history.
• Scraping the wart: Your doctor may scrape off the top layer of the wart to look for signs of dark, pinpoint dots, which are clotted blood vessels.
• Biopsy: In rare cases, your doctor may take a small sample of the wart and send it to a lab for analysis to rule out other types of skin growths.

Source: Mayo Clinic

Treatment Options

Warts often go away on their own, but treatment can help remove them faster. Treatment options include:

Medical Treatments

• Cryotherapy: Freezing the wart with liquid nitrogen. This treatment is often done in a doctor's office and may require multiple sessions.
• Cantharidin: A substance that causes a blister to form under the wart, lifting it off the skin. This is often used for warts on the hands and feet.
• Electrosurgery and curettage: Burning the wart with an electric needle and then scraping it off with a curette.
• Excision: Cutting off the wart with a scalpel.
• Laser treatment: Using a laser to destroy the wart. This is often used for warts that are difficult to treat.
• Immunotherapy: Using medications or solutions to stimulate your immune system to fight the wart.
• Prescription-strength salicylic acid: Stronger than over-the-counter options, this can be applied at home.

Home Treatments

• Salicylic acid: Over-the-counter treatments that come in liquid, gel, or patch form. These work by removing layers of the wart a little at a time.
• Duct tape: Covering the wart with duct tape for several days may help remove it. This method is not well-proven but is sometimes recommended.
• Apple cider vinegar: Soaking a cotton ball in apple cider vinegar and applying it to the wart overnight may help. However, this can cause skin irritation.
• Garlic: Applying crushed garlic to the wart and covering it with a bandage may help due to its antiviral properties.

It's important to note that home treatments may not be as effective as medical treatments and can sometimes cause skin irritation or other side effects.

Source: Harvard Health Publishing

Prevention Tips

While it's not always possible to prevent warts, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk:

• Wash your hands regularly: This can help prevent the spread of HPV.
• Avoid touching warts: This includes your own warts and those of other people.
• Keep your skin healthy: Moisturize your skin to prevent cuts and cracks.
• Avoid biting your nails: This can prevent the virus from entering through small cuts around your nails.
• Wear flip-flops in public showers and pools: This can help prevent plantar warts.
• Don't share personal items: Avoid sharing towels, razors, or other personal items with someone who has warts.
• Keep your feet dry: Moisture can make it easier for warts to develop.
• Boost your immune system: A healthy diet, regular exercise, and adequate sleep can help your body fight off infections.

Source: Cleveland Clinic

Emergency Warning Signs

While warts are generally harmless, there are some red flags that require immediate medical attention:

• Signs of infection: If the wart or the skin around it becomes red, swollen, warm, or painful, it may be infected.
• Bleeding that won't stop: If the wart bleeds excessively or won't stop bleeding.
• Rapid growth or change in appearance: If the wart grows quickly or changes in color or shape.
• Warts on the genitals or anus: These may be a sign of a different type of HPV infection and require medical evaluation.
• Warts that interfere with daily activities: If warts on your feet make it difficult to walk or warts on your hands make it difficult to perform daily tasks.
• Warts in people with weakened immune systems: If you have HIV/AIDS, are undergoing chemotherapy, or have another condition that weakens your immune system.

If you experience any of these emergency warning signs, seek medical attention immediately.

Source: World Health Organization (WHO)