Take care at the local pool this summer (and other things to know about warts)
No one wants warts…but we may sometimes need to deal with them. While most people find warts uncomfortable and a bit embarrassing, fortunately, they’re not a mystery. Here’s what you should know.
Urgh. What causes warts and are they dangerous?
Warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) and can appear on almost any area of the body, including hands, feet, elbows, genitals or the face. They’re not harmful, though plantar warts may cause pain as they tend to appear on weight-bearing areas such as the balls and heels of the feet.
If you have diabetes and warts on your feet, ask your Pharmacist for advice. Diabetes leads to reduced blood flow to the feet and often reduced immunity. As a result, people with diabetes are more prone to infections such as plantar warts.
What do warts look like?
Here’s how to recognise some common types of warts:1
- Common warts – Hard, raised lumps with rough surfaces
- Flat warts – Smooth, flattened bumps
- Filiform warts – Thin, long threads
- Mosaic warts – A tight cluster
- Verrucas – Flattish, hard bumps with a callous-like layer of skin; they may have tiny black dots in the centre
How can I avoid warts?
Basically, warts love wet environments, broken skin and carefree abandon when sharing personal items. Keep these in mind to lower your risk of warts.1
- Protect your skin barrier – Have you cut yourself recently or otherwise broken the surface of the skin? Practice good wound management, keeping the area clean and protected.
- Dry hands and feet – Frequently wet or sweaty hands and feet are more perceptible to warts. Dry your hands and feet regularly and don’t scratch, bite or suck skin with warts present.
- No contact – If you need to help someone treat a wart, use disposable gloves. If you get a wart, cover it with a band-aid to avoid touching it.
- No sharing – Warts are not a time for over-sharing. Don’t share towels or footcare items, such as nail polish, pumice stones, nail files and wart-treating remedies.
- Public pools – Wear flip flops whenever possible at a public pool or spa, especially when walking on wet floors and showering.
Help! I have a wart, what can I do?
Good news! There are multiple ways to treat warts and verrucas. Ask your Pharmacist about at-home treatments or your doctor can help with severe cases.
- Freeze them: At-home cryotherapy treatments allow you to “freeze” warts and verrucas with liquid nitrogen or other solutions.
- Paint them: Gels and liquids containing salicylic acid or lactic acid are “painted” over several applications to the affected area2
- Your doctor can help: If you have chronic or recurring warts or verrucas, your doctor can help with burning, laser removal and immunotherapy options2