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Warts are harmless skin growths caused by a virus. They have a rough surface on which tiny, dark specks may be seen. If the wart is on a weight-bearing surface, it may be painful. The appearance of a wart varies depending on location. For example, if the wart is on the top of the foot, it may protrude. On pressure areas, such as the ball of the foot, they are pushed inward. Warts are quite common. They may bleed if injured. However, they never turn cancerous.
What Causes Warts?
Warts are caused by a virus called the human papilloma virus (HPV). Viruses are infectious agents, so warts are slightly contagious. They may spread on the body, since a wart is the source of a virus that can seed other areas. Research has not yet uncovered the reason why some individuals get warts easily while others never get them.
Can warts resolve without treatment?
People have been trying to cure warts for thousands of years. The "success" of folk remedies for warts is due to the fact that warts often disappear by themselves, especially in young children.
How are warts treated?
Because there is no proven way to kill HPV, many of the treatments for warts are designed to destroy the growth. These methods include freezing with liquid nitrogen and destruction by laser, chemicals, or surgery. Other, new treatments are aimed at prompting the body's immune system to eliminate the wart. Treatment for warts depends on their location and size, the patient's skin type and other individual characteristics (for example, some chemical methods cannot be used if a patient is pregnant).
Is treatment always successful?
It is important to be realistic about your expectations. Warts are typically a stubborn and frustrating problem. It usually takes a number of treatment sessions - and sometimes more than one treatment method - to eliminate warts. Some medications may take many weeks to show results. No matter what treatment is used, warts occasionally fail to dissapear. Sometimes new warts will form while existing ones are being destroyed. Warts may also return weeks or months after an apparent cure. Don't be concerned if your wart recurs. Your doctor will repeat the treatment or use another method to eliminate the wart.
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