Some Things You Should Know About Warts

It is not uncommon for people to get warts, especially on their hands. For some people, they can last for months or even years, which is why it is important to get treatment for them. Here are some things you should know about warts.

Why Do You Get Warts?

Warts are actually caused from a type of virus that affects the skin. When the virus hits the body, it causes the cells to grow rapidly on the outer layer of the skin. Unfortunately, because the warts are only on the skin, the body doesn't always know that they are there, so the immune system isn't activated to get rid of it. This is why they can sit on the skin for such long periods of time without your body doing anything to treat them. This is why many warts require attention.

How Do You Get Rid Of Warts?

There are different kinds of warts, and the type of wart that you have will determine how you treat it. Common warts—the ones that you get on your hands—are pretty simple to care for. You can get an over-the-counter treatment of acid to freeze the wart off. When you do this, it does 2 things. First, it will kill the outer layer of the cells so that the wart will eventually just fall off, since the wart itself is just a collection of cells on your skin. Second, the acid will activate the immune system. Once the immune system is aware that there is a problem with the hand, it will send antibodies to the area to fight the wart. This way you will have the wart fought from both sides.

In some cases, over-the-counter remedies will not be strong enough. If the wart has embedded deeply into the skin, then it will be difficult to remove with just the acid at the pharmacy. Instead, you will need to have a treatment done in a doctor's office, like Snow Creek Medical Center. The doctor will use a much stronger acid or substance that will immediately freeze the wart off. It is slightly more painful, but it is very effective.

When Should You See A Doctor About A Wart?

If you have many warts that keep spreading, you should go to the doctor. If you have tried over the counter remedies and none are working, you should see a professional. Or if you are worried that it isn't a common wart, you might want to see a professional.