A wart is generally a small, rough tumor, typically on hands and feet, that can resemble a cauliflower or a solid blister. Warts are common, and are caused by a viral infection, specifically by the human papillomavirus (HPV) and are contagious when in contact with the skin of an infected person. It is also possible to get warts from using towels or other objects. They typically disappear after a few months but can last for years and can recur.

Types of wart

A range of different types of wart has been identified, varying in shape and site affected, as well as the type of human papillomavirus involved.^[1] These include:

• common wart (Verruca vulgaris): a raised wart with roughened surface, most common on hands and knees
• flat wart (Verruca plana): a small, smooth flattened wart, tan or flesh coloured, which can occur in large numbers; most common on the face, neck, hands, wrists and knees
• filiform or digitate wart: a thread- or finger-like wart, most common on the face, especially near the eyelids and lips
• plantar wart (verruca, Verruca pedis): a hard sometimes painful lump, often with multiple black specks in the center; usually only found on pressure points on the soles of the feet
• mosaic wart: a group of tightly clustered plantar-type warts, commonly on the hands or soles of the feet
• genital wart (venereal wart, Condyloma acuminatum, Verruca acuminata): a wart that occurs on the genitalia.

Treatment of Wart

Prescription

Two viral warts on a middle finger, being treated with a mixture of acids (like salicylic acid) to remove them. A white precipitate forms on the area where the product was applied.

Treatments that may be prescribed by a medical professional include:

• Keratolysis, removal of dead surface skin cells usually using salicylic acid, blistering agents, immune system modifiers ("immunomodulators"), or formaldehyde, often with mechanical paring of the wart with a pumice stone, blade etc.^[2]
• Cryosurgery, which involves freezing the wart (generally with liquid nitrogen), creating a blister between the wart and epidermal layer, after which the wart and surrounding dead skin falls off by itself.
• Surgical curettage of the wart.
• Laser treatment.
• Imiquimod, a topical cream that helps the body's immune system fight the wart virus by encouraging interferon production.
• Candida injections at the site of the wart, which also stimulate the body's immune system.^[3]
• Cantharidin, a chemical found naturally in many members of the beetle family Meloidae which causes dermal blistering.

The wart often regrows after the skin has healed.

One review of 52 clinical trials of various cutaneous wart treatments concluded that topical treatments containing salicylic acid were the best supported, with an average cure rate of 75% observed with salicylic acid compared with 48% for placebo in six placebo-controlled trials including a total of 376 participants.^[4] The reviewers also concluded that there was little evidence of a significant benefit of Cryotherapy over placebo or no treatment.^[4]

Over-the-counter

There are several over-the-counter options. The most common ones involve salicylic acid. These products are readily available at drugstores and supermarkets. There are typically two types of products: adhesive pads treated with salicylic acid or a bottle of concentrated salicylic acid solution. Removing a wart with salicylic acid requires a strict regimen of cleaning the area, applying the acid, and removing the dead skin with a pumice stone or emery board. It may take up to 12 weeks to remove a wart.

Another over-the-counter product that can aid in wart removal is silver nitrate in the form of a caustic pencil, which is also available at drug stores. This method generally takes three to six daily treatments to be effective. The instructions must be followed to minimize staining of skin and clothing.

Duct tape occlusion therapy

Duct tape occlusion therapy (DTOT) involves placing a piece of duct tape over the wart(s) for six days, followed by soaking the area in water and scraping it with a pumice stone or emery board. Evidence suggests that DTOT is more effective than cryotherapy,^[5]

The study cited above ^[5] had 9 patients lost to the follow-up from the original 61 patients entered. In contrast to the flaws (15% of subjects lost to the follow-up) and favorable results of the above study, a more stringent study of 103 children found no benefits from duct tape^[6] . The evaluators were blinded during treatment for the most part, a placebo (corn pad) was used and there were no patients lost to the follow-up. After six weeks, rates of wart resolution were similar in the duct tape and corn pad groups and much lower than the rates seen in the earlier trial.

A similar trial comparing duct tape with a control treatment with a moleskin pad in 90 adults also found no difference in the rate of wart resolution at the end of two months (21 versus 22 percent)^[7] .

Homeopathy Treatment for Wart

Keywords: homeopathy, homeopathic, treatment, cure, remedy, remedies, medicine

Homeopathy treats the person as a whole. It means that homeopathic treatment focuses on the patient as a person, as well as his pathological condition. The homeopathic medicines are selected after a full individualizing examination and case-analysis, which includes the medical history of the patient, physical and mental constitution, family history, presenting symptoms, underlying pathology, possible causative factors etc. A miasmatic tendency (predisposition/susceptibility) is also often taken into account for the treatment of chronic conditions. A homeopathy doctor tries to treat more than just the presenting symptoms. The focus is usually on what caused the disease condition? Why ‘this patient’ is sick ‘this way’. The disease diagnosis is important but in homeopathy, the cause of disease is not just probed to the level of bacteria and viruses. Other factors like mental, emotional and physical stress that could predispose a person to illness are also looked for. No a days, even modern medicine also considers a large number of diseases as psychosomatic. The correct homeopathy remedy tries to correct this disease predisposition. The focus is not on curing the disease but to cure the person who is sick, to restore the health. If a disease pathology is not very advanced, homeopathy remedies do give a hope for cure but even in incurable cases, the quality of life can be greatly improved with homeopathic medicines.

The homeopathic remedies (medicines) given below indicate the therapeutic affinity but this is not a complete and definite guide to the homeopathy treatment of this condition. The symptoms listed against each homeopathic remedy may not be directly related to this disease because in homeopathy general symptoms and constitutional indications are also taken into account for selecting a remedy. To study any of the following remedies in more detail, please visit the Materia Medica section at www.Hpathy.com.

None of these medicines should be taken without professional advice and guidance.

Homeopathy Remedies for Wart :

Acet-ac., alum., ambr., am-c., anac., anac-oc., anag., anan., ant-c., ant-t., arg-n., ars., ars-br., aur., aur-m., aur-m-n., bar-c., bell., benz-ac., bov., bufo., calc., calc-s., carb-an., carb-v., cast., cast-eq., caust., chel., chr-ox., cinnb., cupr., dulc., euphr., ferr., ferr-p., ferr-pic., fl-ac., graph., hep., kali-ar., kali-c., kali-chl., kali-m., kali-per., lac-c., lach., lyc., mag-s., med., merc-c., merc-i-f., mill., nat-c., nat-m., nat-p., nat-s., nit-ac., ox-ac., petr., ph-ac., phos., phyt., pic-ac., psor., ran-b., rhus-t., ruta., sabin., sars., semp., sep., sil., spig., staph., sulph., sul-ac., syph., thuj., verat., x-ray.

References