WARTS AND VERRUCAS, TO TREAT OR NOT TO TREAT AT HOME

If you've ever encountered those hard, rough lumps on your skin, especially on your hands and feet, chances are you've met warts. They vary in appearance, coming in different shapes and sizes. Specifically, warts on the soles of your feet are called verrucas. While they're essentially the same as warts elsewhere on the body, verrucas may appear flatter due to being walked on.

Warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which triggers a reaction in the skin. It's worth noting that warts are contagious, so caution is advised.

My 10-year-old daughter is a keen swimmer, she calls herself a mermaid, a term that freaks her dad out. She came home one day and mentioned that her right foot hurt. Warts were the first thing that crossed my mind. Swimming is a great sport but unfortunately, it does bring with it some pesky afflictions. One of them is the swimmer’s ear (Ear infection) and the other is the “swimmer’s foot” AKA Verruca (not sure there is anything called swimmer's foot, totally made up). But there is definitely such thing as “athletes’ foot” so why not.

Warts are contagious, meaning they could be passed from one person to the other, this is especially so on wet and rough surfaces, the virus particles could be dropped and picked up where people walk barefoot or share towels for example in swimming pools, communal washing areas and gyms.

So this brings us smoothly to the next question,

WHO GETS VERRUCAE?

The answer to this is straightforward, everyone. Verrucae are very common, in fact, every 1 in 3 children have warts. It is a lot common in younger people in general. 

ARE VERRUCAE HARMFUL?

No, they are not harmful. The only downside is that they just do not look good and sometimes, they are painful, especially on the soles of the feet. They are uncomfortable and because they easily come in contact with dirt, there is a small chance they could get infected with bacteria. 

HOW DO WE GET RID OF VERRUCAE?

Most times, if you leave them alone, they do go away on their own within a couple of months to a year, they often do not require any treatment. Occasionally though, they may well occupy the space for a lot longer, up to 10 years, and no, they are not in the habit of paying their rents and you can’t forcefully evict them or they will come back to bite you. You just have to pretend they are not there.

This is different if they are causing an awful amount of discomfort when you walk, then it may be necessary to try some treatments. The bad news though is that none of the available remedies is guaranteed to work. Sometimes you need to try multiple remedies. None of these requires a visit to your doctor. Actually, most grocery stores have products on their counter specifically to treat verrucae. 

Most of these products contain a chemical called Salicylic acid and they come in different forms. If you are not sure, ask one of the shop attendants, sure they’ll be glad to help. There are plasters, sprays, paints, creams, gels etc. There are specific instructions on how to use these, read the leaflet. It is worth mentioning that patience is probably most important here, these do not work overnight, so give it about 3-6 months to expect a change. Having said that, I should probably cheer you up a bit by mentioning that salicylic acid is the treatment option with the best evidence if used correctly.

Another option is the Freezing treatment (Cryotherapy). The freezing and thawing process destroys the wart tissue and eliminates the viruses. You can also purchase freezing treatment over the counter. Freezing commonly is done with liquid nitrogen, some doctors and nurses are also able to offer this. Similar to the other remedies, this will require a few applications. In general, keep your expectations low and you are more likely to be pleasantly surprised.

Salicylic acid treatments are a lot cheaper, there is also better evidence that they work, so you may want to try them first.

There are of course other things you can try that are not chemical-based if you are not into chemicals. There is no strong evidence that they work, but hey, they won't harm. 

One of them is the good old Duct Tape, yes the same one you used to seal your moving boxes. There is some anecdotal evidence that these work (not sure from whose grandma it all started). There is a full-blown process to it though. You have to soak the verrucae in warm water, rub it with a stone or emery board, put the tape on, remove the tape, put it back on, then soak, then tape, then remove and repeat these steps every night for 6 months! or maybe 2 months! Anyway, one thing is for sure, your evening activities will be sorted for the next few months.

Have you heard about Verruca needling, Electrosurgery, Laser vaporisation or Swift Microwave Therapy? Without going deep into these, the summary is, you can’t do them yourself so let's forget about them.

WHAT WORKED FOR MY DAUGHTER?

Because I know (or heard) that none of the verrucae treatments is guaranteed to work, I didn’t bother trying them (am that kind of person, yes). The first thing I did was take a picture of it (very important). Then banned my daughter from walking barefoot when at home or when she goes swimming. At least once a week after having her usual bubble bad, I would scrub the verruca with a natural emery stone (I happen to have these at home).

To provide some cushion, I placed a plaster on the verrucae before she wore her shoes (this helped to reduce the pain massively). After 2 practices with me, she learnt to do it herself. Then we forgot about it, and then after a few weeks (or months), she told me the verruca fell off. Case closed.

HOW DO YOU PREVENT VERRUCAE FROM SPREADING?

To reduce the chance of passing on warts to others: 

avoid walking barefoot in damp, crowded places. Wear slippers or flipflops, 

In the swimming pool, ensure any warts or verruca are covered with a waterproof plaster.

If at home, wear socks that can absorb sweat and change them daily.

Do not share towels.

Do not scratch warts or pick them with your finger to avoid spreading to other parts of your body.

Have you had Verrucas? What worked for you?