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Warts

Warts are mostly harmless, good-natured excrescences of the skin. In children and young adults warts are almost always caused by viruses. Older people, on the other hand, are often affected by so-called age warts, which are not caused by viruses. Warts are often perceived as painful or cosmetically disturbing - especially if they are found on the face, hands or feet. Patients therefore often wish to have the warts removed quickly. In rare cases, warts even have to be removed surgically, as they can otherwise promote the development of certain types of cancer.

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Symptoms

Small, fleshy, grainy bumps.

Flesh-colored, white, pink or tan.

Rough to the touch.

Sprinkled with black pinpoints, which are small, clotted blood vessels

What To Expect

Even the smallest injuries or cracks in the skin can promote infection by viruses and thus lead to the formation of warts. The virus penetrates through the upper corneal layer to deeper lying skin cells and infects them. Infected cells divide faster and are thus forced to the surface of the skin where they accumulate and, depending on the type of virus and the affected skin region, form a thick horny layer - a wart develops. As the infected cells divide, they already produce new viruses that are released on the skin surface. Warts caused by viruses are therefore highly infectious.

Made Worse By

The following factors promote the occurrence of viral warts: increased sweating, foot sweat, a weakened immune system, an attacked skin, for example with neurodermitis, or with small injuries of the nail fold by plucking the skin, smoking or also diabetes.

How Common

More than 10% of the population suffers from warts.

Diagnosed By

Warts can usually be recognized by their typical appearance. Affected persons should nevertheless see a doctor, as the benign skin changes are not always clearly distinguishable from skin cancer. People with pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, circulatory disorders or skin diseases should also avoid experimenting themselves. The doctor will examine the skin area in detail. In unclear cases, he uses an incident light microscope (dermatoscope), i.e. a magnifying glass with a built-in light source. If the growth is on the mucous membrane, the doctor can also dab the area with acetic acid. This can help in making a diagnosis, as the wart tissue turns white, while the surrounding mucosa does not change its color. If there are still doubts, the skin specialist takes a small tissue sample (biopsy) under local anaesthesia and has it examined in the laboratory. In this way he can confirm the diagnosis "wart" and also rule out a malignant change.

Caution Always consult a professional practitioner if you have, or suspect you have, shingles. Take professional advice if you notice a sudden change to a wart.