Information About Warts

Warts can be a particularly annoying condition to afflict any person. That is because it leads to a good deal of embarrassment and discomfort, disrupting normal life to varying extents. Like the old saying goes, Prevention is better than cure, it is always wiser to try and prevent a genital warts infection rather than falling prey to it and then seeking treatment. 

The good news is that genital warts prevention is easier than most people think it is. It is just necessary to know how the virus spreads, and then it is not that difficult to keep the infection at bay. It is highly contagious in nature, and the virus which causes the problem (Human Papillomavirus or HPV) is spread through skin-to-skin contact. As a first step it is important to know the symptoms and then maintain a distance from anyone in whom these symptoms are visible.

Genital warts, as the name suggests, affects the genitals and the areas around them, in both men and women. The area of occurrence of genital warts clearly establishes the fact that the infection primarily spreads through careless or unprotected sexual activities. Condoms, while offering a modest degree of protection, are not foolproof as they do not offer complete protection. Oral guards used while indulging in oral sex with an infected partner are not that secured as well. But condoms and other protections should still be used as they substantially enhance the genital warts protection level. In the final analysis, the only reliable genital warts prevention is to stay away from all sexual activity if any of the partners has been infected.

If there has been a detection, adopt a responsible attitude and don't have sex till it is fully cured. One should also bear in mind that non-sexual contact of the genitals (or the affected areas) also promotes the spread of the virus. So remember to exercise appropriate caution before indulging in any such contact. In recent times medicines has been found to protect women from the strains of HPV that cause 70% of all cervical cancers and 90% of all genital warts. Medicines are now prescribed to women ranging in age from 9 to 26. Vaccines are also being researched to administer them before an actual contamination. Currently research is underway to bring out a version of the vaccine that can be used in males as well.

Till then, we may just have to keep on using plain common sense to save ourselves from HPV. General risk factors, if avoided, will help in genital warts prevention. These include smoking, having multiple sexual partners, practicing unprotected sex and exposure to the other sexually transmitted infections. Weakened immune systems also pose a great risk and quickly invite infection. This underlines yet another benefit of having a healthy lifestyle. Stay healthy, practice safe sex and avoid unnecessary contact. By following these simple guidelines, genital warts prevention can become surprisingly easy. Warts do not have to slow you down one bit, treat them today so that you can feel better tomorrow.

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Filiform Warts - What Are the Characteristics of These Types of Warts?

Filiform warts are long and narrow rapid growing tumors of the outer skin layer. These tumors are however non-cancerous and so pose no real danger. Filiform warts are usually finger-like shaped and project themselves from the skin. They can more easily be found in certain areas such as on the:

• Face
• Eyelid
• Nose
• Lips
• Chin
• Neck

They are more common in elder children than any other age group. They may sometimes itch or even bleed when they become irritated. This usually happens when they are intentionally scratched or when they are accidentally rubbed against clothing.

In certain areas where they may be easily hit, they may create some discomforts and be a problem.

A filiform wart is caused by a viral infection. This viral infection is caused by the human papilloma virus or HPV for brevity.

A filiform wart is contagious. It may be transmitted:

• From an area to another area of the same body
• Directly From an individual to an individual
• Indirectly from an individual to another individual

Transmission form an area to another area of the same body can occur when the individual scratches the filfiorm wart and touches other parts of the body. This may transmit the HPV, resulting in another growth in other areas.

Direct contact with another individual may result is transmission of the virus. This occurs when another wart of another individual is touched. This many easily happen in children when they are playing team games such as football or basketball.

Touching an object touched by another person can also result in contamination. This may happen when individuals use the same towel to dry their faces. The HPV may be transferred from the face of another individual to another resulting in a filiform wart.

Filiform warts generally go away by themselves after several months or a few years.

However since they more generally occur on visible areas of the individual, they may create some discomforts relating to the aesthetic aspect. In view of this one may consider treatment.

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What is a Wart?

A wart is a small and rough tumor that grows on your skin, more commonly on your hands and feet. It can however grow on other parts of your body. Warts are very common and generally they are non-cancerous.

A wart usually resembles a cauliflower or a blister. It's color is different from the color of the nearby skin. In fact it is usually darker or lighter than the nearby skin. Although they are usually painless, sometimes because of their location, they may itch or burn.

Most of the different types of warts that exist are caused by a virus called the human papilloma virus or HPV. The human papilloma virus is contagious and so you can get it from another person.

There are mainly 4 different types of warts:

• Plantar
• Flat
• Genital
• Common

Plantar warts are also referred to as foot warts and are typically found on the bottom of the foot. They are usually very flat because of the pressure caused by walking. However the constant pressure forces this type to grow back inside the foot!

Flat warts are smoother and much smaller than the other types of warts. They are light in color and tend to be subtle variations from the skin pigmentation. They typically occur on the arms, knees, and hands.

Genital warts are a sexually transmitted disease. They can be anywhere in the genital area including the anus, penis or vagina, inside of the rectum and inside the reproductive organs. This type of warts is considered to be the most common sexually transmitted disease (STD).

Common Warts are often found on or around the hands, especially in areas where the skin has been broken by ripped hangnails or broken nails.

The different types of warts can be removed by various warts treatments such as:

• Electrosurgery
• Laser therapy
• Cryosurgery
• Over the Counter medications and Home Treatments

In Electrosurgery an electric current is used to burn them. In Laser therapy a concentrated beam of light is used to destroy them. Cryosurgery uses very low temperatures to freeze them.

Electrosurgery, laser therapy and cryosurgery are a type of surgery. These treatments often require an anesthesia and you may have to attend for more than one session to treat your warts. You will also have some discomforts after the treatment.

Not all the above mentioned treatments may be adequate for all the different types of warts.

Over the counter medications and home treatments are also very commonly used. These methods do not require anesthesia and can cure various type of warts. Some of these treatments produce excellent results.

Your Warts - 4 Ways to Improve Your Immune System to Fight Them in a Natural Way

Warts are caused by a virus called the human papilloma virus or HPV. This virus is contagious and you can get it from other individuals or contaminated places. Children are more prone to get it. Most probably this occurs because they have a less strong immune system then older individuals do.

The immune system defends our bodies from such intruders as viruses and harmful bacteria. It is therefore very advantageous to learn how to strengthen your immune system and so be more able to fight the human papilloma virus. This will reduce the chances of getting warts.

You can improve your immune system by:

• Eating the right foods - Eat a lot of green vegetables such as broccoli. Eat plenty of food that contains proteins. Refrain from eating junk foods such as hamburgers and hot dogs. Try to minimize your intake of chocolate and coffee or any other beverage or food that contains caffeine. Eliminate refined sugars from you diet. Do not replace sugar by refined sweeteners since the latter may be in reality even more harmful.

• Drink a lot of water -Water is a purifying agent. It is amazing how many people are not getting enough water nowadays. Some headaches may be only a sign that you are not drinking enough water.

• Sleep adequately - The normal adult needs approximately 8 hours of sleep each night. The amount of hours needed depends on age; they usually decrease as one advances in age.

• Eliminate smoking or alcohol from your life. - Both smoking and alcohol deplete your immune system. If you are not a heavy smoker or a heavy drinker you can greatly improve your immune system making you more capable to fight the human papilloma virus and so less prone to develop warts.

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Your Warts and the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) - What Are the Characteristics of This Virus

Most of us have probably been forced to deal with warts at one time or another, whether personally or while supporting loved ones.

A wart is a skin tumor and is typically composed of a small lump on the outer layer of the skin. There are many different types of warts and they are usually classified both by their location on the body and by their appearance.

These skin growths are caused by the human papilloma virus or HPV. The human papilloma virus is contagious and can pass from one person to another. It can also be transmitted by touching an object torched by a contaminated person. The HPV has also a tendency to contaminate other areas in the same body.

It is easily transferred from person to person when the skin has been opened through a scratch, cut, or abrasion. The strains of the human papilloma virus that causes genital warts can easily be transmitted through sexual activity.

Being a carrier of this virus does not always mean that you will develop warts. Many individuals are carriers of this virus but may not develop any growth themselves. They can however transmit this virus to other individual.

Children and young people seem to be most susceptible to this virus, though it can really affect anyone. The virus is most contagious in its very early stages. However, anyone with a history of HPV can spread it. Sometimes years can go by before warts appear as a result of the infection.

HIV or medications that suppress the immune system make people much more susceptible to this virus and so increase the likelihood of developing warts.

If a person is healthy and active, sometimes the immune system can destroy the wart on its own. A healthy diet may also help to strengthen the immune system.

HPV has been associated with warts but in recent years it has been discovered that it can cause certain types of genital cancers and abnormal growth in the eye as well.

The preferred habitats for the human papilloma virus are warm and moist environments. It can easily be found in places where water is used such as bathrooms and swimming pool areas. It can also more easily be found in public places where water is used since such places are frequented by many individuals. These places include public shower floors, public swimming pool floors, gyms and locker rooms. It can also be found in shoes!

If you take the appropriate precautions you will decrease the chances to be contaminated with the human papilloma virus. Refrain to go barefooted in the areas described above a far as you can, especially if it is a public place.

Further more refrain from touching your wart and then touching another part of your body. This may transfer the HPV from that wart to other areas of your body and so contaminating that other part.

Get Rid of Face Warts But Beware of That Scar!

Warts on the face are small, rough and raised bumps on the face. They are both quite common and harmless. The only problem usually relates to aesthetic reasons. It is a fact that no one likes to have these 'horrible creatures' on one's face.

The warts on the face have a tendency to group in clusters. Sometimes these clusters may grow up to 100 warts, but usually the clusters are much smaller. They are generally of two types: flat warts or common warts.

Children have the tendency to have more warts on the face than other individuals. This may be in part because their immune system is less strong than that of adults. The immune system helps to fight viruses and bacteria. Facial warts are in fact a viral infection caused by the human papilloma virus or HPV. The HPV is contagious and enters from cuts or scratches in the skin.

You can get rid of face warts by various methods. They range from surgical procedures, over the counter treatments and home treatments.

Surgical procedures such as cryosurgery, laser therapy and electosurgery need to be done by a professional physician. They are quite painful and the healing process may take some time. You may also have to go for more than one visit to treat the same wart.

Further more they may leave a scar. This is a very negative aspect. Remember that you are treating the face and any scar left is as ugly as the removed wart, and it is very noticeable!

Because of these and other problems, it is debatable if such wart removal methods are practical to treat children.

Other types of treatments involve over the counter medicine such as creams, and gels.

There are also various home treatments such as using duct tape, garlic, vinegar and other home methods that have been used for many years.

At all times keep it always in mind that here you are treating the face. Some of the over the counter and home wart removal methods may be quite acidic and may leave a scar. Although they may be adequate to treat other type of warts such as foot warts, they may not be adequate to treat the face. A little scar under your foot is seldom visible.

It is a very different story if you have a scar or scars on your face. Be well informed about any method you use and its side effects. If you are in doubt seek a second opinion. Do not leave anything to chance.

Remember that although you can get rid of face warts by various methods, remember also that the large majority of warts on the face will go away by themselves, although this may take several months or a few years.

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How Do You Get Warts?

You can get warts by being infected by the human papilloma virus or HPV. A wart is in reality a non-cancerous growth caused by an infection by this type of virus.

There are many strains of the human papilloma virus and some of these types cause different type of warts. This virus is contagious and it can enter into your body from small cuts or scratches on your skin as well as by other ways.

There are many ways where you can get warts by being contaminated by HPV. In fact you can get them by:

• Direct contact with a wart of another person
• Direct contact with another person who is a carrier of the virus
• Using object that has been touched by another person that has the virus
• Sexual activity
• Frequenting certain places where the HPV dwells

Direct contact with the wart of another person may transfer the virus to your body. This is more frequent in children and adolescents than in adults. While children are playing football or other sports that require physical contact it is quite easy that they pass the virus by unconsciously touching the warts of other individuals.

It is also important to be aware that an individual may have the virus even if no type of growth has developed. This is because the virus not always develops into any type of growth. So an individual may transmit the virus without having developed any growth himself. However the individual that has been contaminated may develop the wart.

You can get warts by touching objects that had been touched by other individuals that carry the virus. This includes such objects as towels and shoes.

Some strains of this virus are responsible for genital warts. This strain may be transmitted during sexual activity.

The HPV can be found in many places and so you can get it from those places as well. Viruses have a tendency to remain dormant but alive for several months or even years when they are outside the body. They may start to multiply and increase their activity when they are in a body.

The human papilloma virus can be found in moist and warm places. It may lie on the floors of swimming pools, bathrooms, showers, gyms and locker rooms. So walking bare footed in these places increases the chances that you can get the virus through a small cut or scratch in you feet or other parts of your body.

If you are contaminated with the virus you can contaminate other areas of you body as well. This occurs by scratching your wart and touching other areas of your body. Children are particular known to have this type of habits.

Juvenile Warts - What Are Their Characteristics and What Wart Removal Treatment May Be Used

A juvenile wart (also called flat wart) is in reality a benign tumor that causes no real or little physical harm. Juvenile warts are more commonly found in children and adolescents. They usually occur on the face, arms, hands and knees of young individuals.

They are caused by the human papilloma virus or HPV. This is a type of virus that can be found in moist and warm habitats. Therefore it may easily be found in bathroom floors and swimming pool areas.

It usually enters the body from little cuts in the skin. It is particularly important not to walk bare footed in communal showers or on wet floors near swimming pools, in order to limit exposure to the human papilloma virus.

The human papilloma virus is contagious and it can be transmitted form one person to another. Sometimes an individual may be a carrier of a virus for several months or even years until it develops into a wart. Because of this it is difficult to determine when the individual had got the virus.

Although juvenile warts pose no or very little health risk, they have the tendency to increase in number. So it is important to treat them as soon as possible.

Another important reason why they should be treated is that they may interfere with the self confidence of the kid or adolescent.

There are many over the counter wart removal treatments. Unfortunately many of these are not effective at all. Some of them may help to kill the wart but remember also that warts have a tendency to re-occur. Some type of wart removal treatment may also damage the skin.

A juvenile wart may also be removed by surgery. These may include:

• Electrosurgery
• Cryosurgery
• Laser therapy.

Electrosurgery uses a heated needle to remove warts. Such a process is however painful, even though aesthesia is administered to reduce pain. Perhaps one of the disadvantages of this wart removal treatment is that it generally leaves a scar.

Cryosurgery involves a process where the juvenile wart is frozen by an instrument. An anesthesia is usually also applied and you may need more than on session for completer removal of the same wart.

Laser therapy involves directing a powerful bean of light to the wart so to burn it. This type of treatment may be quite expensive especially if you have a large number of warts.

Alternative and home treatments for warts may also be used to effectively treat your juvenile warts. Although some of these methods produce little results, others are known to be quite effective and have been used for many years.