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Are warts contagious?

17 replies

Enid · 17/06/2003 09:26

Help! I've got a crop of warts on my fingers, tiny new ones have sprouted on THREE fingers. Apart from feeling 'minging' like Jade on BB, I am worried that I will infect my whole family. Are they catching like veruccas?

OP posts:
fio2 · 17/06/2003 09:29

I think so, not sure. I know its caused by a virus in your blood stream that never goes away. I get a crop every now again too. Maybe someone else will be more help than me.

SoupDragon · 17/06/2003 09:56

A quick Google search on "are warts contagious" et voila!

"Warts are caused by a virus that can be passed from person to person. Dr. Tom Davis in San Antonio says while the virus is contagious, not all people are susceptible?

"Yes they may be contagious, but it's not as simple as that. Whether or not a person gets a wart when exposed to the human papilloma virus depends not only on the amount of exposure but also on the immunilogic status of the person who is exposed to the warts and so if there's a defect in the cell mediated immunity of the individual exposed that prevents him from fighting off the wart virus if he is exposed, yes he will get it." (:30)

Dr. Davis says avoid touching warts on yourself and others and never share towels, socks or shoes. He says to prevent the spread of warts cover them with a band-aid or athletic tape. This has been Ask a Doctor presented by Texas Medical Association. "

M2T · 17/06/2003 09:57

Here you go Enid..... I had loads in my inner thigh as a child. They spread coz my legs rubbed together. HTH

Warts and verrucas are small thickened growths on the skin, which are caused by a virus.

Symptoms
Warts are small growths of the skin, caused by a virus. They have a rather rough surface, and can be unsightly. They do not usually hurt, although they may itch. Warts may affect any part of the body, but are most commonly seen on the hands.

Warts on the feet are known as verrucas. Here the pressure from the body weight causes them to be flatter, but to grow into the skin more, and can cause pain, rather like walking on a dried pea.

Sometimes people have many warts or verrucas, while others only have one or two.

Causes
It is a virus that causes warts and verrucas. It may be that they can be picked up from direct contact or in swimming pools or changing rooms, but warts and verrucas do not spread rapidly through a family, and it seems to be a question of being more susceptible at certain times in life.

Diagnosis
Your doctor, a chiropodist, podiatrist or nurse will be able to confirm the diagnosis, and it is unlikely that any tests will be needed.

Treatment
Warts will heal on their own, given long enough, but this may take years. If treatment is needed there are a number various possibilities:

Various paints and applications which contain one or more acid eg salicylic acid, and sometimes other chemicals. (Not for sensitive skin. Read the instruction leaflet.) Some of these need a plaster to cover them, while others contain a glue-like substance, which forms a seal of its own. It is important to rub down the area with a pumice stone or emery board once or twice a week, as the skin tends to heap up, protecting the underneath part of the wart or verruca.
Liquid nitrogen can be used to freeze the wart or verruca. Nitrogen, the gas which makes up the majority of the air we breathe, is a liquid at temperatures below -196°C (-321°F). Only a tiny amount is applied, for a few seconds. This will be done by a health care professional.
The area may be painful and red for a few days after being frozen, but when it settles, the wart or verruca has usually gone. Sometimes more than one application is needed.

A treatment that was found to be helpful in a research project (published in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery in 1981), involved the use of banana skin. The inner side of a fresh piece of banana skin is placed over the wart and held in place with tape. This is changed daily after washing the affected area. As with other treatments, you should rub down the area regularly with a pumice stone or an emery board.

Very occasionally the wart or verruca does not respond to any of these treatments, and your doctor may refer you to a specialist (dermatologist) to consider stronger treatments.

M2T · 17/06/2003 09:58

Ah Soupie! You beat me to it.

Enid · 17/06/2003 10:02

Oh thanks. I will go upstairs and put plasters on them with a bit of tea tree until I can get some bazuka gel. Trouble is I've only got Barbie plasters so they might be a bit noticeable...

I HATE MY WARTS

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 17/06/2003 10:16

Oooh - warty thighs, luverly!

Enid, Barbie plasters are fine. I often have winnie the pooh plasters on my fingers!

Ghosty · 17/06/2003 11:04

I used to have warty knees as a child but they went away and never came back ... the warts not the knees
I also had a wart on my little finger when I was a teenager and I had it frozen off .... didn't work first time and came back but after the second time it never came back.....
Haven't had a wart for over 20 years now ... so it doesn't mean once you've got them you will always have them ....

M2T · 17/06/2003 11:06

I was unique Soupy!

Ghosty - I counted that I had 28 on my inner thighs when I was 8 (I think?). It started off as one biggish one and spread to lots of little ones. I treated them with loads of different stuff and eventually, after about 1 year they disappeared completely and, like yours, have never returned. That was 17 years ago.

SoupDragon · 17/06/2003 11:10

As an aside, there is a skin infection called "molloscum" or something that are like little warts. They're common, nicely contagious, spread on your body and then disappear leaving you immune. Supposedly it's a self limiting virus which disapers after 6 months or so but a friend's child had them for 2 years! DS1 caught them from this girl (his fiancee if her mum and I have our way ) and they disappeared in a month or 2.

M2T · 17/06/2003 11:14

Soupy - maybe thats what I had then! A mystery solved.

tigermoth · 17/06/2003 12:49

very impressed with your wart knowledge M2T. My son has warts on his hands but no one else in the family has caught them. Now I know how we can get rid of them, though I must admit so far I have trusted to time. I had a few as a child myself and they just disappeared in the end.

I think wart phobia exists, which is a shame. My son is teased a bit at school for having warts - some children won't hold his hand etc. Suppose this is an understandable reaction with children, and my son is good at rising above it. However, he was upset after cubs a while ago. Because the cubs were teasing my ds about his warts in a cooking class, the cub leader made my ds do his cooking apart from the others. He told my ds he was afraid that the other cubs might catch his warts

princesspeahead · 17/06/2003 13:01

my daughter has just got some molluscum on her back - not as yucky looking as warts, more like a bit more substantial skin tags. only 2 or 3 but I bet they proliferate. I'm just ignoring them as instructed by doctor...

mears · 17/06/2003 18:08

My doctor said to pop the molluscums with a cocktail stick which causes a little bit of bleeding which promoted antibody response. My son had them in the crook of his elbow and didn't find it painful for the to be popped. They went away after I did that. It's like a little ball of jelly that comes out. Only a passtime for us professional spot squeezers i would think

SoupDragon · 17/06/2003 18:48

Bleagh! Very satisfying though, I'd imagine.

DS1s were on his side under his arm so completely invisible to everyone and didn't bother him so I could just leave them and they went really quickly. My GP said he could treat them or leave them and they's pretty much go away in a similar length of time.

princesspeahead · 18/06/2003 09:58

hmmm, interesting! like the sound of the jelly - piques my interest that. actually hers are sort of in the small of her back and seem to be being rubbed off a bit by her waistband... but I'll have another look in the bath tonight!

Oakmaiden · 18/06/2003 11:00

Tigermoth - that's awful. I hope you complained!

scarletrose · 10/07/2003 04:56

My granddaughter is coverd with white wart like pumps all over her. She's been to the Doctor twice and they dont know what it is.Any one have any ideal what this is and is catching.Maybe an ideal what to do.

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