本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛Many of us have had a wart somewhere on our bodies at some time. But other than being a nuisance, most warts are harmless.
More common in kids than in adults, warts are skin infections caused by viruses of the human papillomavirus (HPV) family. They can affect any area of the body, but are usually found on the fingers, hands, and feet. Warts are usually painless with the exception of the warts on the soles of the feet.
Types of warts include:
common warts. Usually found on fingers, hands, knees, and elbows, a common wart is a small, hard bump that's dome-shaped and usually grayish-brown. It has a rough surface that may look like the head of a cauliflower, with black dots inside.
flat warts, also called juvenile warts. These are about the size of a pinhead, are smoother than other kinds of warts, and have flat tops. Flat warts may be pink, light brown, or yellow. Most kids who get flat warts have them on their faces, but they can also grow on arms, knees, or hands and can appear in clusters.
plantar warts. Found on the bottom of the foot, plantar warts can be very uncomfortable - like walking on a small stone.
filiform warts. These have a finger-like shape, are usually flesh-colored, and often grow on or around the mouth, eyes, or nose.
Warts can also involve the genital area, but this article focuses on warts that appear on the rest of the body.
Simply touching a wart on someone doesn't guarantee that you'll get one, too. But the viruses that cause warts are passed from person to person by close physical contact. (You can't, however, get a wart from holding a frog or toad, as your child might have wondered!)
A tiny cut or scratch can make any area of skin more vulnerable to warts. Also, if your child picks at a wart, it can spread to other parts of the body.
The length of time between when a person is exposed to the virus that causes warts and when a wart appears varies. However, warts can grow very slowly and may take weeks or longer, in some cases, to develop.
Although there's no way to prevent warts, it's always a good idea to encourage kids to wash their hands and skin regularly and well. If your child cuts or scratches his or her skin, be sure to use soap and water to clean the area because open wounds are more susceptible to warts and other infections.
About 25% of warts are gone in about 6 months without treatment, but most go away in 2 to 3 years. With treatment, warts may be removed more quickly, but can return if the virus isn't completely removed from the skin.
Warts don't generally cause any problems, so it's not always necessary to have them removed, unless you have concerns. Another reason to treat warts is to prevent them from spreading further.
I do have a few different ways of removing warts, including:
using prescription medications to put on the wart
burning the wart off (using a light electrical current)
freezing the wart with liquid nitrogen (called cryosurgery)
using laser treatment (which works very well for plantar warts or other warts that are more difficult to remove)
Within a few days after the doctor's treatment, the wart may fall off, but several treatments are sometimes necessary. I don't usually cut off the wart, because it can cause scarring and the wart may return.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net
More common in kids than in adults, warts are skin infections caused by viruses of the human papillomavirus (HPV) family. They can affect any area of the body, but are usually found on the fingers, hands, and feet. Warts are usually painless with the exception of the warts on the soles of the feet.
Types of warts include:
common warts. Usually found on fingers, hands, knees, and elbows, a common wart is a small, hard bump that's dome-shaped and usually grayish-brown. It has a rough surface that may look like the head of a cauliflower, with black dots inside.
flat warts, also called juvenile warts. These are about the size of a pinhead, are smoother than other kinds of warts, and have flat tops. Flat warts may be pink, light brown, or yellow. Most kids who get flat warts have them on their faces, but they can also grow on arms, knees, or hands and can appear in clusters.
plantar warts. Found on the bottom of the foot, plantar warts can be very uncomfortable - like walking on a small stone.
filiform warts. These have a finger-like shape, are usually flesh-colored, and often grow on or around the mouth, eyes, or nose.
Warts can also involve the genital area, but this article focuses on warts that appear on the rest of the body.
Simply touching a wart on someone doesn't guarantee that you'll get one, too. But the viruses that cause warts are passed from person to person by close physical contact. (You can't, however, get a wart from holding a frog or toad, as your child might have wondered!)
A tiny cut or scratch can make any area of skin more vulnerable to warts. Also, if your child picks at a wart, it can spread to other parts of the body.
The length of time between when a person is exposed to the virus that causes warts and when a wart appears varies. However, warts can grow very slowly and may take weeks or longer, in some cases, to develop.
Although there's no way to prevent warts, it's always a good idea to encourage kids to wash their hands and skin regularly and well. If your child cuts or scratches his or her skin, be sure to use soap and water to clean the area because open wounds are more susceptible to warts and other infections.
About 25% of warts are gone in about 6 months without treatment, but most go away in 2 to 3 years. With treatment, warts may be removed more quickly, but can return if the virus isn't completely removed from the skin.
Warts don't generally cause any problems, so it's not always necessary to have them removed, unless you have concerns. Another reason to treat warts is to prevent them from spreading further.
I do have a few different ways of removing warts, including:
using prescription medications to put on the wart
burning the wart off (using a light electrical current)
freezing the wart with liquid nitrogen (called cryosurgery)
using laser treatment (which works very well for plantar warts or other warts that are more difficult to remove)
Within a few days after the doctor's treatment, the wart may fall off, but several treatments are sometimes necessary. I don't usually cut off the wart, because it can cause scarring and the wart may return.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net