Warts are small growths on the skin. They are common and can occur on various areas of the body. A person may have one wart or multiple warts. Most warts are not painful and do not cause problems. However, warts can cause pain if they are large or occur in an area of the body where pressure will be applied to them, such as the bottom of the foot.
In many cases, warts do not require treatment. They usually go away on their own over a period of many months to a couple years. Various treatments may be done for warts that cause problems or do not go away. Warts sometimes go away and then come back again.
CAUSES
Warts are caused by a type of virus called human papillomavirus (HPV). These viruses can spread from person to person through …show more content…
Most warts have a rough surface. Warts may range in color from skin color to light yellow, brown, or gray. They are generally less than ½ inch (1.3 cm) in size. Most warts are painless, but some can be painful when pressure is applied to them.
DIAGNOSIS
A wart can usually be diagnosed from its appearance. In some cases, a tissue sample may be removed (biopsy) to be looked at under a microscope.
TREATMENT
In many cases, warts do not need treatment. If treatment is needed, options may include:
• Applying medicated solutions, creams, or patches to the wart. These may be over-the-counter or prescription medicines that make the skin soft so that layers will gradually shed away. In many cases, the medicine is applied once or twice a day and covered with a bandage.
• Putting duct tape over the top of the wart (occlusion). You will leave the tape in place for a certain period and then replace it with a new strip of tape. This is done until the wart goes away.
• Freezing the wart with liquid nitrogen (cryotherapy).
• Burning the wart with:
○ Laser treatment.
○ An electrified probe (electrocautery).
• Injection of a medicine (Candida antigen) into the wart to help the body's immune system fight off the