Your skin covers the most surface area of all organs in your body. It, therefore, has the highest chance of contracting infections or injuries. There are many skin conditions you may contract at one point or another in your life. A common skin issue is the occurrence of Mill Creek warts. Warts are a common issue that may affect your skin. More about it and possible treatment plans are discussed below.
What are Warts?
Warts are a type of skin condition that results from the human papillomavirus. The virus causes rough bumps that are found on your skin. Therefore, this virus is contagious and can be spread from one person to another via touch. They usually appear on the hand but can also be found on the face, feet, knees, and genitals.
They are noncancerous and occur when the HPV gets into a break or cut in your skin, resulting in an infection. This is more common in children as they are susceptible to many cuts. The elderly who may have weakened immune systems or those with autoimmune diseases are also prone to the virus.
Warts are classified depending on what body part they are found on. These include:
· Those affecting your forehead and face are called flat warts
· Common warts are those appearing on your hands
· Genital warts occur on your vagina, penis, or rectum. They are sexually transmitted diseases that are transferred through coitus with someone infected.
· Plantar warts are found on the soles of the feet. They resemble calluses with centers containing small black dots. They occur in clusters and are painful.
· Subungual and periungual warts form around or beneath toenails and fingernails
This HPV can be transferred from person to person via:
· Touching something already containing the virus, such as doorknobs, towels, and shower floors
· Direct contact with a wart
· Cuticle picking and nail-biting
· Sexual intercourse for genital warts
· Shaving
Signs and symptoms of warts depend on their various appearances like:
· Flat
· Dome-shaped
· The color matches your skin, i.e., black, brown, or gray
· Rough texture
Diagnosis and Treatment
Simple observation of your skin bumps by your physician may be sufficient for an accurate diagnosis. However, the doctor may take the skin growth sample to test for HPV.
Your immune system may fight off warts naturally. However, they may spread and cause pain, so your doctor may recommend treatment such as:
· Cryotherapy freezes the wart using liquid nitrogen to form a blister that may peel off later
· Medications found at your local pharmacist like Compound W that has salicylic acid that dissolves the layers of warts one at a time
· Laser light can be used to heat and eliminate small blood vessels in the wart, killing them off
· The use of immunotherapy to assist your immune system in killing off the virus. A topical chemical is introduced to cause an allergic reaction that eliminates the wart.
Warts may cause pain and discomfort but, most importantly, give you an undesirable physical appearance. A wart specialist may be required to improve your appearance and reduce scratching and itchiness. Check us out online or call our Mill Creek, WA offices for any inquiries.