Most people get warts somewhere on their bodies at some point in their lives. Common warts, sometimes called planters warts or plantar warts, are caused by more than thirty different varieties of the human papilloma virus (HPV). They can grow anywhere on the body, including on the hands, feet, face and genitals. Sometimes warts disappear spontaneously after a few weeks or months due to the action of the immune system, but treatment may be necessary to eliminate others.
HPV is contagious, and it is possible to spread warts by direct contact with the infected area, or by other means such as wet towels. Other conditions can sometimes look like warts, so if you have any doubt you should see a physician before attempting self-treatment. If you have genital warts, you should see a physician in case you have been infected by one of the specific types of virus that can induce cancer.
Most warts are not dangerous, but they can be painful and unsightly. Most people prefer to get rid of them. Fortunately, there are several treatment options that work. Many natural wart remedies do not require the care of a physician. For more serious cases, a doctor may be able to treat the condition with any of several types of prescription drugs.
One of the most common and effective treatments for warts on the bottoms of the feet is salicylic acid. This compound is found in the bark of the willow tree, and can be purchased in most drug stores in the form of liquid or patches that can be cut to fit over the wart. With daily application, this treatment can usually eliminate warts in a period of a few weeks. Other natural treatments work well for many people, and most of them are safe to use to treat even children, as long as the warts are in a location that makes treatment easy, such as the fingers or the bottoms of the feet.
A recent relatively natural approach that may be beneficial is to cover the wart with duct tape. The tape is changed twice per day and the procedure is followed for several weeks. In some studies, this approach has proven effective, while other studies have shown only mixed results.
Doctors will often use cryotherapy (spraying the affected area with liquid nitrogen) for wart removal, but in many cases the wart will grow back a few weeks after the skin has healed. Some studies show that this treatment is no more effective than a placebo.
There are a number of herbs and herbal products that can be used to treat warts. These include extracts of birch bark, preparations made from bloodroot, and castor bean oil. There have been reports that basil contains antiviral compounds, and that rubbing crushed basil leaves on a wart and then covering it with a bandage is beneficial.
Warts often return after treatments that initially appeared successful, so it is often necessary to try several different approaches to find what works best in each individual case.
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