When any skin diseases appear on the body, especially on the hands, we feel embarrassed and afraid to interact with others because of them. The most famous of these skin diseases is the appearance of warts, the causes of which vary from one person to another, but they appear as a result of an ongoing viral infection. Therefore, we will learn about warts, their causes and symptoms, and in the end we will explain ways to treat warts at home and how to get rid of them.
The wart
It is the growth of small skin growths on the skin and spreads to non-sexual parts of the body, the most common of which are the hands and fingers. It can also appear in the feet, but to a lesser extent. The wart appears as a result of a viral infection, which is the human papilloma virus, and it is considered directly contagious through contact between one person and another, or through contact between a person and a surface infected with the virus.
Causes and symptoms of warts
As we mentioned before, HPV infection is a major cause of infection, as it infects open wounds or skin infections. Therefore, biting nails and fingers can increase the possibility of infection, and the risk of infection also increases with a weak immune system, which leads to an increase in infections among children and adolescents due to their weak immune defense.
Warts on the fingers or hands usually appear as follows:
- Small, greasy bruises
- It is characterized by its color being like the color of skin, white or pink
- Rough to the touch
- Some small black spots may appear in the skin of the capillaries
Types of warts
The type of wart varies depending on its shape and location of appearance, and varies as follows:
common warts
This type of wart appears on the fingers, nails, or on the back of the hand or feet. The common wart is spread by biting nails or cutting the skin of the fingers.
- Wart on the palm of the foot
This type of wart appears on the palm of the foot or fingers and also appears on the ankle and appears in a flat shape. When the infected person walks on them, they can enter the skin into the skin, causing a feeling of pain as if there are small stones in the shoe. Sometimes it is not differentiated from a callus in the foot.
- Flat warts
- These warts appear on the face and cheeks and can be skin color or shades darker.
- Sexual warts: These warts appear in the area of the sexual organs and require one party to be infected with them in order for the infection to spread to the other party during intercourse.
Risk factors
The probability of infection increases among some age groups, such as:
- Children and adolescents because their immune defense is weak inside their bodies.
- People with AIDS or human immunodeficiency, or who have undergone organ transplantation due to a weak immune system.
When do we resort to seeing a doctor?
You should make an appointment to visit the doctor's office when the following occurs:
- Whether the warts are painful or discolored.
- The spread of warts and their failure to respond to treatment.
- Repeated infection with the virus and warts.
- Weakness in the infected person's immune system.
- Unsure whether these are warts or other medical conditions.
Diagnosis
The doctor does the following in most cases:
- Examination of the wart from the outside
- Scrape the outer layer of the wart to examine it and see if there are any black spots resulting from capillary clotting.
- Skin biopsy: The doctor resorts to this in some advanced cases. A biopsy or sample of the wart is taken to determine whether the skin injury is the result of other skin diseases.
treatment
Warts usually heal on their own without the need for medical intervention, but there are some advanced cases that require intervention. Medical intervention includes the following:
- Peeling medications Peeling medications that contain salicylic acid help remove warts slightly, but over long periods of time.
- Freezing or cooling treatment: The wart is frozen using liquid nitrogen under medical supervision, and the cooling creates a blister under and around the wart to get rid of it. Some advanced cases may require repeated use of cooling. This technique can cause pain, the appearance of ulcers, and a change in skin color in the area that was cooled, so it is preferable not to follow this procedure if children are injured.
- Other acids: If cooling and exfoliating medications do not work for the condition, then other acids can sometimes be used, such as trichloroacetic acid. The doctor scrapes off the upper layers of the wart and then applies acid using a wooden toothpick. This procedure must be repeated to achieve the best result. It can cause a feeling of heat and tingling in the area.
- Minor surgery: The doctor can remove the tissue that is causing the pain and may cause scars to appear on the affected hands or fingers.
- Laser treatment: This procedure is done by cauterizing small blood vessels, which leads to the death of the affected tissue, then the warts die and get rid of them. The laser causes a feeling of heat and the appearance of scars.
- Immunotherapy: This is specific to repeated infections of warts over short periods of time, so some medications can be given that strengthen the immune system and stimulate it to fight the human papilloma virus.
Home treatment
Some home remedies can help treat warts without medical intervention, including the following:
- Use medications that do not require a prescription, such as gel, lotion, or topical creams that contain salicylic acid, because it helps in exfoliating the high layers of the wart and contributes to getting rid of it. You can also find some medical plasters at the pharmacy that perform the same function.
- Cooling warts by using a gel or liquid containing liquid nitrogen, which does not require a prescription.
- Using adhesive tape may help remove the wart from the skin by placing it on the wart for 6 consecutive days, then soaking the foot or hand in warm water and using a pumice stone to get rid of the dead skin around it, then exposing the wart to the air for a period of no less than 12 hours, and repeating the previous stages once. Another to remove warts permanently.
- Organic apple cider vinegar can remove warts by mixing it with water in a 2 to 1 ratio, then applying it to the wart using a cotton ball and soaking the entire foot or hand in the solution for 20 minutes and then drying well. Repeated use of the mixture to get rid of warts. It is necessary to consult a doctor and stop using the solution if the patient feels itching or irritation of the skin due to the vinegar.
Prevention of warts
Warts are contagious for all age groups, so it is necessary to prevent them by following the following instructions:
- Avoid touching the warts of infected people around you.
- Avoid wearing clothing or touching surfaces or objects that carry HPV, such as in swimming pools and public bathrooms.
In the case of warts in the body, you must avoid infecting the rest of the body through the following:
- Avoid touching or scraping existing warts.
- Cover the wart with medical tape, especially while swimming.
- Wash your hands frequently, especially when dealing with warts.
- Avoid sharing towels and clothing with someone who has warts.