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Warts
What
causes warts?
Warts are a type of infection caused by viruses in the human papillomavirus
(HPV) family. There are at least 60 types of HPV viruses. Warts
can grow on all parts of your body. They can grow on your skin,
on the inside of your mouth, on your genitals and on your rectal
area. Some types of HPV tend to cause warts on the skin, while
other HPV types tend to cause warts on the genitals and rectal
area. Some people are more naturally resistant to the HPV viruses
and don't seem to get warts as easily as other people.
Can
warts be passed from one person to another person?
Yes. Warts on the skin may be passed to another person when that
person touches the warts. It is also possible to get warts from
using towels or other objects that were used by a person who has
warts.
Warts on the
genitals can be passed to another person during sexual intercourse.
It is important not to have unprotected sex if you or your partner
has warts on the genital area. In women, warts can grow on the
cervix (inside the vagina), and a woman may not know she has them.
She may pass the infection to her sexual partner without even
knowing it.
Will
warts go away on their own?
Sometimes yes and sometimes no. Often warts disappear on their
own, although it may take many months, or even years, for the
warts to go away. Some warts won't go away on their own. It is
not known why some warts disappear and others don't.
Do
warts need to be treated?
Generally, yes. Warts are often bothersome. They can bleed and
cause pain when they're bumped. They also can cause embarrassment,
for example, if they grow on your face. Treatment may also decrease
the chance that the warts will be spread to other areas of your
body or to other people.
How
are warts on the skin removed?
First of all, it's important to know that warts on the skin (such
as on the fingers, feet and knees) and warts on the genitals are
removed in different ways. Don't try any home remedies or over-the-counter
drugs to remove warts on the genital area. You could damage your
genital area by putting certain chemicals on it. You also shouldn't
treat warts on your face without talking to your doctor first.
The following are some ways to remove warts from the skin:
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Applying
salicylic acid--For warts on places such as the hands, feet
or knees, one treatment method is to put salicylic acid (one
brand name: Compound W) on the warts. To get good results, you
must apply the acid every day for many weeks. After you take
a bath or shower, pat your skin dry lightly with a towel. Then
put salicylic acid on your warts. The acid sinks in deeper and
works better when it is applied to damp skin. Before you take
a shower or a bath the next day, use an emery board or pumice
stone to file away the dead surface of the warts.
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Applying
cantharidin--Your doctor may use cantharidin on your warts.
With this treatment, the doctor "paints" the chemical
onto the wart. Most people don't feel any pain when the chemical
is applied to the wart. You'll experience some pain and blistering
of the wart in about 3 to 8 hours. After treatment with cantharidin,
a bandage is put over the wart. The bandage can be removed after
24 hours. When mixtures of cantharidin and other chemicals are
used, the bandage is removed after 2 hours. When you see your
doctor again, he or she will remove the dead skin of the wart.
If the wart isn't gone after one treatment, your doctor may
give you another treatment.
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Applying
liquid nitrogen--Your doctor may use liquid nitrogen to
freeze the wart. This treatment is called cryotherapy. Applying
liquid nitrogen to the wart causes a little discomfort. To completely
remove a wart, liquid nitrogen treatments may be needed every
1 to 3 weeks for a total of 2 to 4 times. If no improvement
is noted, your doctor may recommend another type of treatment.
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Other
treatments for warts on the skin--Other ways that your doctor
can remove warts on the skin include burning the wart, cutting
out the wart and removing the wart with a laser. These treatments
are stronger, but they may leave a scar. Ask your doctor about
the risks and benefits of these treatments before you decide
what kind of treatment to have for your warts. |
How
are warts in the genital area treated?
As mentioned previously, warts on the genital area aren't treated
exactly like warts on other parts of the skin. The following are
some ways to treat warts on the genitals:
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Applying
liquid nitrogen--Warts on the genitals may be frozen with
liquid nitrogen (cryotherapy). With liquid nitrogen treatment,
the doctor applies the liquid nitrogen at a number of different
office visits until the warts are completely gone.
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Applying
podophyllin--Warts on the genitals may be treated weekly
with podophyllin by your doctor. You may also put a medicine
called podofilox (brand name: Condylox) on the warts at home
twice a day for 3 days, and then rest for 4 days. This process
is repeated weekly until the warts are gone.
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Loop
electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP)--With this method
for removing genital warts, the doctor passes a sharp instrument
shaped like a loop underneath the wart, cutting the wart out
of the skin.
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CO2
laser surgery--For large warts in the genital area, laser
surgery may be needed for complete removal.
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Interferon
injections--If genital warts don't go away after they've
been treated with different methods, your doctor may try an
interferon injection into the warts. Interferon is a chemical
that our bodies make. It helps our immune system fight infection.
An injection of interferon into the wart may help your body's
immune system fight the virus that is causing the wart. Generally,
interferon is injected into warts twice a week for up to 8 weeks,
or until the warts are gone. |
Do warts ever come back?
Most of the time, treatment of warts is successful and the warts
are gone for good. Your body's immune system can usually get rid
of any tiny bits of wart that may be left after a wart has been
treated. If warts come back, though, see your doctor to talk about
other ways to treat them.
Reviewed/Updated: 3/02
Created: 1/96
This article provides a general overview on
this topic and may not apply to everyone. To find out if this
article applies to you and to get more information on this subject,
talk to your family doctor.
Copyright
© 1996-2002 American Academy
of Family Physicians
Permission is granted to print and photocopy this material for
nonprofit educational uses. Written permission is required for
all other uses, including electronic uses.
Back
to Top
|
Surgical and Other Procedures
Warts:
Removal by Freezing
How
can my wart be removed?
Warts can be removed in a number of ways. One way is called
cryosurgery(freezing the wart). This 2-step process removes
the wart without hurting the skin around it.
The first
step is getting your wart ready to be removed. You can help
with this step. The second step is freezing the wart, which
will be done by your doctor in his or her office. You may need
to have several freezing treatments before the wart is completely
removed.
What
do I need to do?
You must do some things on your own at home to get the wart
ready for removal. Doing these things before you come to your
doctor's office can reduce the number of freezing treatments
you need. You should do the following:
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1.
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Every
night for 2 weeks, clean the wart with soap and water and put
17% salicylic acid gel (one brand name: Compound W) on it.
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2.
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After
putting on the gel, cover the wart with a piece of 40% salicylic
acid pad (one brand name: Mediplast). Cut the pad so that it
is a little bit bigger than the wart. The pad has a sticky backing
that will help it stay on the wart.
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3.
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Leave
the pad on the wart for 24 hours. If the area becomes very sore
or red, stop using the gel and pad and call your doctor's office.
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4.
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After
you take the pad off, clean the area with soap and water, put
more gel on the wart and put on another pad. If you are very
active during the day and the pad moves off the wart, you can
leave the area uncovered during the day and only wear the pad
at night. |
What
happens next?
After 2 weeks of this treatment, your wart will have turned
white and will look fluffy. Your doctor will then be able to
remove the white skin layer covering the wart and use cryosurgery
to freeze the base (root) of the wart. If your skin reacts strongly
to cold, tell your doctor before cryosurgery.
Cryosurgery
can be uncomfortable, but it usually isn't too painful. The
freezing is somewhat numbing. When your doctor places the instrument
on your skin to freeze the wart, it will feel like an ice cube
is stuck to your skin. Afterward, you may feel a burning sensation
as your skin thaws out.
Healing
after cryosurgery usually doesn't take long. You will probably
be able to enjoy all your usual activities while you heal, including
bathing or showering. Cryosurgery leaves little or no scar.
After the area has healed, the treated skin may be a bit lighter
in color than the skin around it.
Reviewed/Updated:
3/02
Created: 9/93
This article provides a general overview on
this topic and may not apply to everyone. To find out if this
article applies to you and to get more information on this subject,
talk to your family doctor.
Copyright
© 1993-2002 American Academy
of Family Physicians
Permission is granted to print and photocopy this material for
nonprofit educational uses. Written permission is required for
all other uses, including electronic uses.
Back
to Top
|
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This
health article is made available by
Dr. Eliot Y Ghatan MD a Dermatologist. AESTHETIC SURGERY &
DERMATOLOGY office at 1226 Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11230.
Dr. Ghatan is easy reachable from Breezy Point, Bronx, Brooklyn,
Connecticut, Far Rockaway, Howard Beach, Long Island, Manhattan,
New Jersey, Queens, Ridgewood, Rockaway Park, and Staten Island.
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