WARTS
What are they?
Common warts are small, herd, whitish or flesh coloured lumps, with a rough surface. They may be unsightly, but are not in any way dangerous.
Symptoms: Common warts are usually painless and often develop on the hands, feet or knees. A wart on the sole of foot is known as a verruca. On walking it may press onto the foot and be painful. Warts vary in size, from that of a pinhead to a large pea.
Causes: Viral infection, wart viruses are spread by touch, or by contact with the shed skin of a wart.
Treatment in the home: Warts are harmless and usually disappear naturally in time. If warts on the hands, feet or legs are unsightly, apply wart paint or paste, available from your pharmacy, daily after several weeks, the infected tissue may be destroyed. When applying the wart paint or paste protect the normal skin around the wart with Vaseline. Carefully remove the dead surface skin between applications. Do not treat warts on the face or genitals with wart paint or paste as these areas are very sensitive.
When to consult a doctor: If an unsightly wart does not respond to treatment, for treatment of warts on face and genitals, If wart develops on the scalp or in the bald area. Brushing the hair and shaving beard is bound to spread the warts and the condition will get worse until it is treated.
What the doctor may do: prescribe a different wart paint or paste, freeze the wart off with liquid nitrogen or dry ice (solid carbon dioxide), burn it off with a strong acid or scrap it off after mumbling the wart with local unaesthetic.