Between 1 in 10 Australians suffer from warts at any given time more commonly under the age of 20. Warts are lumps of skin overgrowing caused by viruses. They are not dangerous but can be a real nuisance, causing pain walking on them or interfere with fine tasks if located on fingertips. Rarely if they are wide spread and treatment resistant mean a weak immune-system which the doctor excludes from history / blood tests. Warts are not very contagious and simple precautions prevent spread to others and from one part of your body to another one.
o When swimming, cover any wart with a waterproof plaster.
o If you have a verruca, wear thongs in communal areas
o Don't share shoes, socks or towels.
o Don't scratch warts.
o Don't bite nails / suck fingers with warts.
o With verruca, change your socks daily.
Warts usually disappear without treatment but sometimes last for several years. Treatment might speed up recovery. Management with the best supporting evidence are: Salicylic acid, Freezing (Cryo-)therapy, Duct tape.
Salicylic Acid has to be applied in the form of wart paint (gels, cream…) daily for weeks at end. It is best done to the soaked wart, dead tissue has to be regularly rubbed away (emery board, pumice stone). Rest with application if the skin gets inflamed or sore. Protect healthy skin with Vaseline or putting a zinc tape with a hole the size of the wart onto the lesion. Acid can be combined with Freezing for improved success. Salicylic Acid is cheap and readily available and well tolerated unless you have blood flow problems or suffer diabetes. Your GP can freeze , freeze-taw–freeze warts , taking a mean of 5 treatments usually. Freezing is no more effective than acid treatment, but maybe faster. Acid cures warts in 75% of cases, Cryo in 52% of cases. But more aggressive Cryo has more local side effects (blistering , burning, scarring) Warts heal with placebo treatment (not chemical active treatment ) in ca 30% after 10 weeks!
One promising study just using duct tape to cover the warts for six days in a row than soaking and rubbing it down again before covering it again cleared 7 in 10 warts.
A chiropodist/podiatrist can give great comfort with simple surgical treatments.
Third line treatments like cutting or curetting the wart out can change a lump for a bump , cause scarring , or even spread the wart if unskilfully done. There are lots of treatments on the market and used in surgeries and skin clinics, which have not been fully investigated but definitely cost a lot.
Helko Schenk
12 1 2009
Sources :
- Warts and Verrucas www.patient.co.uk
- James Murtagh “practice tips”, “patienteducation”
- www.gpnotebook.co.uk
- “Bandolier” oxford journal of evidence based medicine
- “Australian Family Practice – To freeze or not to freeze”
o When swimming, cover any wart with a waterproof plaster.
o If you have a verruca, wear thongs in communal areas
o Don't share shoes, socks or towels.
o Don't scratch warts.
o Don't bite nails / suck fingers with warts.
o With verruca, change your socks daily.
Warts usually disappear without treatment but sometimes last for several years. Treatment might speed up recovery. Management with the best supporting evidence are: Salicylic acid, Freezing (Cryo-)therapy, Duct tape.
Salicylic Acid has to be applied in the form of wart paint (gels, cream…) daily for weeks at end. It is best done to the soaked wart, dead tissue has to be regularly rubbed away (emery board, pumice stone). Rest with application if the skin gets inflamed or sore. Protect healthy skin with Vaseline or putting a zinc tape with a hole the size of the wart onto the lesion. Acid can be combined with Freezing for improved success. Salicylic Acid is cheap and readily available and well tolerated unless you have blood flow problems or suffer diabetes. Your GP can freeze , freeze-taw–freeze warts , taking a mean of 5 treatments usually. Freezing is no more effective than acid treatment, but maybe faster. Acid cures warts in 75% of cases, Cryo in 52% of cases. But more aggressive Cryo has more local side effects (blistering , burning, scarring) Warts heal with placebo treatment (not chemical active treatment ) in ca 30% after 10 weeks!
One promising study just using duct tape to cover the warts for six days in a row than soaking and rubbing it down again before covering it again cleared 7 in 10 warts.
A chiropodist/podiatrist can give great comfort with simple surgical treatments.
Third line treatments like cutting or curetting the wart out can change a lump for a bump , cause scarring , or even spread the wart if unskilfully done. There are lots of treatments on the market and used in surgeries and skin clinics, which have not been fully investigated but definitely cost a lot.
Helko Schenk
12 1 2009
Sources :
- Warts and Verrucas www.patient.co.uk
- James Murtagh “practice tips”, “patienteducation”
- www.gpnotebook.co.uk
- “Bandolier” oxford journal of evidence based medicine
- “Australian Family Practice – To freeze or not to freeze”
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