Warts Causes Quirks and Cures
WARTSCauses, Quirks and Cures
They spring up like forest mushrooms after a spring rain--knobby little growths on knee or elbow or finger.
But even though they look peculiar, warts are harmless. They are actually nothing more than little growths caused by a virus, says Richard Johnson, M.D., instructor of dermatology at Deaconess Medicine, Harvard Medical School in Boston. They're relatively common in kids, particularly on areas prone to minor injury, such as hands, elbows and knees, where it's easy for the virus to enter through a break in the skin.
Warts can be annoying to your child if they're on the hands and interfere with day-to-day activities or with nail growth. And some kids get self-conscious about them, which is natural enough, since they can be unsightly. But the only warts that cause outright pain (usually) are the kind that appear on the feet, called plantar warts. It doesn't take long for a plantar wart to become flattened and painful from the pressure of walking.
Before deciding to actively treat a wart yourself, check with your doctor to be sure that what's growing on your child is indeed a harmless wart. If the doctor says yes, you can try these tips from the experts to cope with these growths.
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When to See the Doctor Every wart should be checked out by your pediatrician to make sure itis a wart before you take active measures to remove it. Your pediatrician should also check out any unusual or wartlike growth anywhere on your child's body to ensure that it is not a cancerous growth. Because of the possibility of scarring, you should also never try to treat or remove any wart on the face, lips or eyelids yourself, says Richard Johnson, M.D., instructor of dermatology at Deaconess Medicine, Harvard Medical School in Boston. 'It's often difficult to remove a wart and not leave some sort of scar behind,' he says. For these warts, consult your child's pediatrician or dermatologist. |
Treatment
Wait it out. Warts will eventually go away all by themselves, although it could take months or even years. 'If your child can stand them, just leave them alone,' advises Moise Levy, M.D., a pediatric dermatologist and an assistant professor in the departments of dermatology and pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. But if your child is being taunted about his warts or they get in the way, you may want to help them along.
Wish them away. The first thing to try is--wishing the warts away. No kidding. Studies have found that some people who imagine their warts dissolving do lose their warts. ' With young kids, suggestion sometimes actually works,' says Dr. Levy. 'Simply have your child think about getting rid of his warts for several minutes every day, and it could happen.' Be sure to explain to your child that this is an experiment, however, so she doesn't feel that she has failed if the warts don't magically disappear.
Consider an OTC. If your doctor has confirmed that these growths are warts and are candidates for home treatment, you may decide it's time for more drastic action. Enter the over-the-counter wart removal products. There are many choices, including Wart-Off, Compound W and Trans-Plantar, says Kenneth R. Keefner, Ph.D., a pharmacist and associate professor of pharmacy in the School of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions at Creighton University in Omaha.
It's important to remember, however, that most of these products are mild acids and work by burning the skin. For this reason, you should not use an over-the-counter product on children under six years old. If you do decide to use one, you should read directions carefully and follow them to the letter, says Dr. Keefner. It's also a good idea to coat the area around the wart with petroleum jelly to avoid getting the acid on healthy skin.
Try a liquid remover. A wide array of wart removers come in liquid form. All you do is drip the remover onto the wart. Look for products that list salicylic acid as the active ingredient, suggests Dr. Keefner. 'They all come in various strengths--up to 40 percent salicylic acid,' he explains. 'For younger children, it's best to select a lower concentration, such as 17 percent, because their skin is more delicate.'
Or choose a pad remover. Another option is wart remover pads or disks that may be easier to use on squirming children than liquids, says Dr. Keefner. 'These can be cut to the size of the wart and then placed directly on top of it,' he says. The pad is treated with salicylic acid, so be sure to cut the pad no larger than the wart itself.
Wait a bit . . . but not forever. No matter what over-the-counter product you choose, you may have to use it for a couple of weeks before the wart begins to vanish. But you shouldn't apply a nonprescription treatment indefinitely, says Michael L. Ramsey, M.D., a dermatologist in group practice in Wharton, Texas, and clinical instructor of dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. 'If I didn't see some results from an over-the-counter treatment in two weeks,' he says, 'I'd scoot in and see my family doctor or dermatologist.' A plantar wart in particular may be a painful problem that needs further attention, he says.
Preventive Care
Stop the spread. Warts are contagious and picking at them can spread them to other parts of the body. To prevent that, be sure to explain to your child that warts shouldn't be touched or scratched. ' Warts on the hands can easily wind up on the face, nose and mouth from scratching and biting the fingernails,' says Dr. Johnson.
Furnish shower footwear. It's a simple matter for a barefoot child to pick up the wart virus in the shower or in the locker room at the pool or gym. You can help your child avoid plantar warts by buying flip-flops to wear in the shower, suggests Suzanne Levine, D.P.M., a podiatric surgeon, clinical assistant professor at the New York College of Podiatric Medicine in New York City and author of My Feet Are Killing Me. And because you probably don't have time to constantly disinfect the shower stall at home after a child with warts has used it, encourage your children to wear them when showering at home as well.
Assign personal laundry. Because warts are contagious, children with warts shouldn't share towels with anyone else, says Dr. Levine. To avoid singling out the child with warts, assign each child his own matching towel and washcloth. Pick bright colors or designs that are easily distinguishable or, better yet, let your children pick out the towels themselves. And remind your children not to share shoes or slippers--or any clothing for that matter, unless they have been freshly laundered.
Attack the virus. If you're battling warts in your house, you'll want to vanquish the wart virus when it's time to clean the bathroom. Household disinfectants such as Lysol or chlorine bleach will do the job on bathroom floors or showers, says Dr. Levine. Normal laundering in warm water with detergent will take care of the virus on towels and clothing, she says.
Slow down the pace. People tend to get warts when they're under a lot
of stress or eating poorly, says Dr. Levine. If your child has a tendency to get warts and is leading a hectic lifestyle crammed with piano lessons and soccer practice and Girl Scout meetings, it can't hurt to slow down the pace a bit and
make sure she's eating well.
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