What Are Warts?
Warts are common skin growths that, although typically harmless, can cause discomfort and embarrassment. Whether you’ve noticed a stubborn wart on yourself or your child, understanding what exactly warts are and what causes them can be essential in effectively managing and treating them.
Warts are benign (non-cancerous) growths caused by infections from the human papillomavirus (HPV). They appear as raised bumps on the skin, often with a rough texture. Warts can occur anywhere on the body but commonly appear on hands, fingers, feet, and around the nails. While they are usually painless, warts can sometimes cause discomfort, especially when located on pressure points like the soles of your feet.
Types of Warts
Understanding the different types of warts helps identify them accurately:
- Common Warts – Typically rough, dome-shaped, and greyish-brown in colour. Often appear on fingers, hands, and elbows.
- Plantar Warts – Characterised by a hardened area with tiny black dots (clotted blood vessels). Appear on the soles of the feet and can become painful due to pressure from walking.
- Flat Warts – Smaller, smoother, and flatter than common warts. Appear commonly on the face, neck, or hands, often in clusters.
- Filiform Warts – Small, thread-like warts usually appearing on the face around the mouth, eyes, or nose.
- Periungual Warts – Typically appear around or under fingernails and toenails. Can cause discomfort and sometimes disrupt nail growth.
What Causes Warts?
All warts are caused by various strains of HPV, which infect the outer layers of the skin. The virus is highly contagious and can spread through direct skin-to-skin contact or indirectly through shared surfaces and objects. Small cuts, abrasions, or weakened immune systems can increase susceptibility to infection.
Children and teenagers are particularly susceptible to warts because their immune systems are still developing. People with weakened immune systems due to conditions like HIV, cancer treatment, or autoimmune diseases also tend to develop persistent and recurrent warts.
Why Are Warts Stubborn?
You might wonder why warts can sometimes seem immune to treatments. The stubborn nature of warts lies in their viral cause; HPV evades the immune system using a clever ‘cloaking’ ability. When the virus enters the body, it takes over the host cell and conceals itself, appearing as a normal, healthy skin cell. As a result, warts avoid detection by the immune system and can persist for months or even years.
Are Warts Dangerous?
In general, warts are harmless. However, their appearance can be distressing, and they might become painful or infected, especially if repeatedly irritated or injured. Some HPV strains are associated with certain types of cancer (e.g. cervical) but the strains causing common skin warts are typically benign.
When to See a Doctor
It is advisable to seek medical advice as soon as a wart appears to prevent further spread. If left untreated, the wart can:
- become uncomfortable, painful, or begin to interfere with daily activities.
- multiply rapidly, spreading from one body part to another and even to other people.
- entrench itself within the layers of the skin. The longer the wart is there, the longer it may take to remove it.
It’s also important to see a doctor if the wart changes in appearance or bleeds, as this could indicate an infection or a different skin condition.
Treatment Options
There are various ways to treat warts, ranging from home remedies to medical procedures. While treatments such as salicylic acid, cryotherapy (freezing), and laser treatment are common, one of the latest, most effective treatments for warts is SWIFT™ microwave therapy.
SWIFT™ Microwave Technology: An Innovative Approach
SWIFT™ microwave therapy represents a breakthrough in skin lesion management. SWIFT™ uses precisely controlled microwave energy to treat the lesion by removing its ‘cloaking’ function and drawing attention to the infected cell for removal by the immune system.
Here’s why SWIFT™ microwave therapy stands out:
- It doesn’t damage the surrounding skin. It precisely targets the lesion, penetrating deeper into the skin without harming healthy tissue.
- Patients typically report little to no pain from the treatment.
- Sessions typically take just a few minutes and require no anaesthetic or downtime.
- Clinical studies report significantly higher success rates compared to conventional treatments, especially for long-standing, stubborn warts.
Preventing Warts
While treatment is important, preventing warts is equally crucial. Here’s how you can prevent warts from appearing:
- Avoid direct contact with warts, including your own.
- Do not share personal items like towels, razors, or shoes.
- Maintain good skin hygiene and keep your skin moisturised and free from cuts or abrasions.
- Wear protective footwear in communal areas such as swimming pools or gyms.
Conclusion
Warts, although usually harmless, can be persistent, unsightly, and sometimes uncomfortable. Understanding their viral cause and the factors that contribute to their stubbornness helps in managing expectations and treatment outcomes. With innovative treatments like microwave therapy, stubborn warts can now be addressed more effectively than ever before.
Stay informed, seek professional advice when necessary, and remember that effective treatment is readily available.
