Warts: Talking about them alone does not help
There are all kinds of superstitions about warts. You should talk to them or let a snail crawl over them during a full moon, then they would disappear. From a medical point of view, the sudden comings and goings can be explained as follows: The benign skin tumors are triggered by a form of the human papilloma virus (HPV). And as with all viruses, the body is particularly susceptible to it when it is weakened. Once the immune system is fit again, it can often fight back on its own – or with medical help.
Ways of infection
More than 80 different HPV types are known in medicine today and can trigger very specific types of warts. Sometimes they penetrate the epithelial cells of the skin by directly touching a wart. Sometimes it is an indirect infection that happens, for example, when touching a doorbell or walking barefoot in a swimming pool. The danger is greatest in wet rooms. This is because softened or injured skin is very susceptible to penetrating viruses.
Different types
After weeks or months, a skin growth appears on the infected area, which may be a common verruca vulgares. They usually appear in childhood as a raised, scaly lump on the hands and feet. Flat warts (verrucae planae) are small, reddish papules on the face and back of the hands. There are also prickly, brush and thread warts, all of which are harmless and often disappear on their own. More unpleasant are deeply proliferating, painful plantar warts on the soles of the feet. And urgent therapy is needed for sexually transmitted genital warts, which can degenerate into malignant tumors.
Individual treatment
Unlike genital and plantar warts, other types of warts do not necessarily require treatment. Unless they occur in clusters or are considered cosmetically disturbing. Icing with liquid nitrogen, electrical scabbing and regular removal by curettage are just as much part of the therapy spectrum as laser, photodynamic and surgical therapy. Local therapies in the form of solutions, ointments or plasters with salicylic, lactic or acetic acid have also proven effective. Every now and then, new infestations occur because the papilloma virus cannot always be completely destroyed.
If you notice warts on yourself or your children, come to us. In our practice, we can accurately determine the type and take targeted action against it.
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