Common Warts
If all else fails, there's always duct tape - Robert J. Davis
image by: Common Warts Management
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Monday’s medical myth: warts aren’t contagious
Although some types of HPV can cause cancers (genital, oral, throat), the types of HPV that commonly cause warts on the face, hands and feet do not. And the types of HPV that cause genital warts are different to the ones that cause common warts...
But rest assured, if you have a common wart on your fingers, you are not going to give yourself genital warts, or even plantar warts, if you touch those parts of your body. Different types of warts are typically caused by different types of HPV, so you could potentially infect the other hand.
Resources
Health Check: do home remedies for common warts really work?
Common warts can be hard to get rid of, so many people turn to home remedies. An internet search suggests everything from mashed banana to duct tape. But do these home remedies actually work?
Here's your guide to every different type of wart (you'll thank us one day)
They're lumpy, bumpy and sometimes clumpy (more on that later), but warts deserve your attention and your love. Ok, maybe not necessarily your love, but definitely a little consideration.
How to get rid of warts
Ugly and annoying, warts never seem to go away fast enough. Treating them may help speed their departure. Warts are generally harmless and often disappear on their own over time, but they're unsightly, and some, like those found on the soles of the feet, can make walking and exercise painful. Wart removal can be a challenge, but fortunately, the most effective treatments are the least invasive.
One Downside Of Home Wart Treatments: Bursting Into Flames
Wart removal seems so simple a medical treatment that it would be hard to mess it up. Until you start a fire. The Food and Drug Administration says that it has received reports of 14 people being burned or starting fires while using wart-freezing devices since 2009.
Should you treat warts and verrucas or just leave them?
The great thing about warts is that they tend to vanish by themselves in time ‑ but there are ways to speed things up.
The Claim: Duct Tape Removes Warts
The practice is supposed to work because the tape, if left on long enough, irritates the skin, thereby causing an immune reaction that clears up the infections responsible for warts, which are most common in children. The 2002 study found that if applied for six days, duct tape worked more often than the usual technique: cryotherapy, or freezing. THE BOTTOM LINE Duct tape may not be as effective as once thought.
The Warts That Bind Your Family And Friends
There's lots of advice on the Internet about how to avoid warts, those unsightly gray lumps that speckle hands and feet, and are especially common in children. Wash your hands. Wear flip-flops at the pool. Cover warts with bandages while swimming. But nowhere do they say avoid your family and friends.
Warts Get the Cold Shoulder
Freezing products probably can't hurt and may help. But given the limited evidence, many experts still recommend the old tried-and-true remedy, salicylic acid, as a first line of defense for most warts.
Warts: Overview
Most warts are harmless and will go away on their own within a few weeks or months. But they can be bothersome and unattractive, and some people feel ashamed. There are a number of different treatments that can make warts go away more quickly – but they don't always work.
Monday’s medical myth: warts aren’t contagious
But rest assured, if you have a common wart on your fingers, you are not going to give yourself genital warts, or even plantar warts, if you touch those parts of your body. Different types of warts are typically caused by different types of HPV, so you could potentially infect the other hand.
ADA
Common warts are caused by infection with human papillomavirus (HPV). There are over 100 different types of HPV that a person can contract, each affecting one or several different areas of the body and causing various conditions.
NHS
Warts and verrucas are small lumps on the skin that most people have at some point in their life. They usually go away on their own but may take months or even years.
ScienceDirect
Common warts are a significant cause of concern and frustration for patients and parents. Social activities can be affected, lesions can be uncomfortable or bleed, and treatment is often painful and frustratingly ineffective.
StatPearl
Warts are prevalent benign lesions caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) that occur in the mucosa and skin. Warts may cause significant morbidity for affected individuals.
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