What Causes Warts On Your Fingers?

Warts are regarded as one of the most contacted skin infections because of how fast they spread. They spread simply by touch from a person who already carries the infection, direct usage of anything that a wart carrier has touched or used and other forms of physical contact.

There are several types of warts, but one of the major types is called the common wart. Common warts are easy to spot and are usually found on the fingers, knuckles, palms (also called palmar wart) and sometimes on the knees.

Common warts are not responsible for skin cancer, they do not result to fatality neither do they require some sort of quarantine for the infected like other dangerous diseases. They are as common as the everyday day skin acne, however they are highly transmittable.

This is another reason why it is so common. People can easily contact the warts by direct touch of a visible wart, so the regular handshake that is exchanged on a daily basis can put you at risk if you shake an infected person.

Apart from primary exposure, common warts can also be transmitted secondarily. This means that if a person with a wart infection touches an object and you touch that same object with your hands bare, you can be infected with the virus as well.

Causes of Common Warts

All warts are caused by a particular virus, referred to as the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). This virus, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, causes the infection to protrude in different places thereby resulting in different kinds of wart.

They are like a family. They increase and spread due to change of location, birth and marriage, but are always connected by blood. Here, the infection will always be a traceable to the oldest and the source.

This is what the Human Papillomavirus represents to the various types of warts existing today. They may appear in different areas of the body and at different times, have different names and sometimes even look different, but they all come from a single source.

The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) can be found among humans and are classified into groups of numbers. Different types of the virus when infected are responsible for various diseases like cancer, HIV etc and these are deadly diseases. But the Human Papillomavirus on its own can be harmless. Sometimes, it goes away on its own when it has been contacted after a period of time.

A person can be easily infected with the virus and can even have more than one virus at the same time. The Human Papillomavirus is not visible to the natural eye and so going for regular checks with medical experts is a wise way to prevent the HPV virus infection and the cause of warts or any other kind of harmful disease. These are some of the HPV types and their numbers:

HPV type 1,2,3,4,6,7,10,11,28 and 63 among a wide range of other numbers. HPV type 2,7 and 22 are mostly responsible for common warts. The most common way to get infected with HPV is by touch, but that is not the sole reasons for common warts.

Most of the time the virus remains dormant in the human system, but when it comes in contact with the skin, then there is a high chance of the infection resulting in a wart, especially if there is an injury or opening on the skin no matter how small it is.

While the Human Papillomavirus can be harmless on its own and may not result in any infection or disease, there are certain things that can trigger the appearance of a common wart.

Certain physical activities that are considered harmless by the ordinary man might be a reason why warts are one of the most widely spread skin infections in the world today. These activities can also be secondary causes of warts.

Poor Hygiene

Body hygiene is often overlooked by a majority of people in the society today. A lot of people do not take proper care of their diet, skin and environmental surrounding.

Since the Human Papillomavirus can be easily transmitted by touch or skin contact, a simple habit of regularly washing the hands preferably with a disinfectant and the use of hand sanitizers when going out to public places and events where you will most likely have a lot of body contact, would help alot (MedicalNewsToday).

Taking regular baths will also help reduce the risk of getting infected. These measures can help prevent the widespread infection of common warts on the skin.

Injuries and cuts on the skin are the welcome signs for the Human Papillomavirus to infect the skin and result in warts

The virus on the skin alone does nothing, but when there is a tiny scratch on the skin even as small as a nail bite then the Papillomavirus can actually spread to the inner layer of the skin and a wart can erupt on that spot.

Properly disinfecting a wound and covering it up, really well can prevent the entry of any infection of the Human Papillomavirus.

This is not just a protective measure against common warts. It can also help to prevent other infections as well that are related with open cuts on the skin.

Carelessness in a wart infected area

It is actually possible to be in a wart infected area and not get the virus. Since the virus is not airborne, just being in an infected area will not automatically give you warts,but certain careless moves can do that.

Shaking people with or without visible warts will most likely result in an infection and sharing things with people who already have warts will increase your risk of getting infected.

You can not always choose where and when to be cautious in the case of warts because when it is in its early stage the Human Papillomavirus is not visible to the human eye so being prepared at all times can help you avoid contact with the virus (WebMD).

Being cautious will help you to do things like studying the appearance of people properly before having contact with them and you also need to have a fore knowledge of how to wield public equipment carefully.

Lack of knowledge about warts

A lot of people have very little knowledge about warts and some know nothing about it at all. They are quite ignorant of how it spreads and the speed with which it does that. Little wonder why most times, no measures are taken into preventing the virus infection and this increases one’s risk as well.

Warts can easily be spread from one part of the body to another by vigorously scratching the wart infected area and using that same finger to scratch other parts of the body. This will easily spread the virus to that part of the body and if there is a cut on the skin then a wart would most likely appear on the skin.

A lot of people immediately begin to scratch the warts on their skin once they see it, but it is the wrong way to handle wart infection as it will only enhance the spread of the warts.

Having no knowledge about common warts will only expose you to the virus faster. Also not paying attention to proper precaution may make it more difficult for you to prevent the virus on the hands and other parts of the body.

Scientists have stated that about 80 percent of people in the world today have a high chance of having warts at some point in life. Research shows that three out of every four persons will contact the virus which usually result in warts especially with the high rate of illnesses and diseases in the world today which weakens a lot of people’s immune system.

People with a weak immune system usually have a higher chance of being exposed to the possible infection of the Human Papillomavirus. Although warts alone are known to be harmless and painful, certain situations might be different like pain. The most important thing is to get treatment immediately to avoid the isolation and embarrassment that usually comes with having a wart prone infection.

Contrary to popular belief, toads, frogs and other animals do not have the ability and capacity to spread HPV because HPV is only susceptible to the human body hence the reason it is called the Human Papillomavirus. A lot of people think that way because warts are majorly found on children, but the truth is, this is only so because of their weak immune system and because they are more prone to injuries due to their playful lifestyle.

Conclusion

In conclusion, warts generally do not have a definite cure so they can only be treated occasionally one at a time. In some situations, warts reoccur, despite the treatments that are implemented. This is usually in the case of home or self administered treatments.

When this happens, it is best to see a dermatological expert to offer a more long lasting solution to the infection. However this does not permanently eradicate your chances of contacting the infection again.

Read our article about Plantar Wart On Bottom Of Foot: Causes and Treatments

Plantar Wart On Bottom Of Foot: Causes and Treatments

Warts are a horny projection on the skin usually of the extremities produced by proliferation of the skin papillae and caused by any of numerous human papillomaviruses also called verruca vulgaris. There are different types of warts as warts can appear on almost every part of the skin.

One of the most popular types of wart is Plantar warts (verruca plantaris) which are small rough bumps or growth found around the soles of the feet and the toes.

They are also known as foot wart and usually sink into the skin unlike other common warts because of the pressure from the weight of a person on foot, but that part of the skin is usually rough and hard, and some warts have black dots (blood clot) on the surface.

Plantar warts do not cause cancer or any other skin infection, and they eventually disappear on their own after a while without special treatment within two years.

Some warts might be painful and can cause serious discomfort during movement and can spread to the soles of the foot if left untreated. There are two types of plantar warts namely.

Solitary warts: a single wart that often increases in size and may eventually multiply, forming new satellite warts.
Mosaic warts: a cluster of several small warts growing closely together in one area. These warts are more difficult to treat than solitary warts.

Causes of Plantar Warts

Plantar warts are generally caused by direct contact with the human papilloma virus (HPV) which infects the epidermis (the upper layer of skin).

This is the same virus that causes warts on other areas of the body. The virus is a large number of virus species in the family Papillomaviridae that affect humans, sometimes causing cervical or other cancer. It is sometimes classified as a sexually transmitted disease.

The virus penetrates through a cut or an opening on foot thereby infecting the skin and resulting in a wart.

They are highly transmittable and spread quickly from one surface of the skin to another when touched or scratched and when the foot is infected it usually takes a while before the growth surfaces, it can take months before a person begins to see the symptoms.

Warts on your feet can often look like calluses, which are thickened areas of skin. But warts have a few distinguishing features that calluses do not.

Skin lines interrupted by warts: Warts will interrupt the skin lines on the bottom of the foot, whereas calluses will have skin lines continue through the hard, dead skin.
Black dots: Warts usually have small black dots, and calluses do not. The dots are often called the seed of the wart, but they are not an actual seed. They are the capillaries that carry the blood supply that feeds the wart.
Pain when squeezed: Warts are more painful when they are squeezed side to side and calluses are more painful when pushed on directly.

Plantar warts are commonly found in:

Children and teenagers because they tend to walk barefooted more than the regular adult.
HIV and diabetes patients because their system has been weakened.
People with weak immune systems generally cannot fight the infection.

How to Prevent Plantar Warts

They say prevention is better than cure and you can only prevent a problem from happening when. You know the causes. Plantar warts can be contacted by sharing slippers or socks with a person who already has warts or walking barefoot in an infected area. Any slight contact with the virus can result in infection. These tips can easily help you prevent warts.

Don’t walk barefoot in a public pool or shower

This is one of the easiest places to contact plantar wart because the majority of the people in these areas prefer to walk barefoot and if a person has plantar warts they can easily spread the virus on the floors. Wearing shoes in this type of place will help in preventing the contact of plantar warts if such an area is infected.

Avod Sharing shoes

Warts easily spread as soon as it comes in contact with another surface, so shoes are one of the fastest carriers of warts because they are in direct contact with the sole of your foot. The virus cannot be seen ordinarily, and you may not always be conscious of cleaning and disinfecting any shoe before you wear. Putting on the same shoes of someone who has warts might increase your risk of having plantar warts. It is best to avoid sharing shoes with people to prevent contact.

Cover up leg injuries properly

The only way HPV can infect your skin is if there is a cut on or bruise on the skin. So if you have an injury on your foot, ensure your dress it properly to prevent any passage in case of contact with the virus and always make sure that your feet are cleaned regularly to wash off any contact with the virus before it can result in warts.

Don’t share foot maintenance tools anyhow.

Watch out to see that tools like nail clippers, pumice stones and files are not used on you without being disinfected and cleaned properly. If it has been used by someone who has warts, there is a high chance that you might get warts too.

Ways to Treat Plantar Warts

Plantar warts can be treated, and the treatments usually involve the use of certain chemicals or surgical processes to aid in removal. Some of these treatments can be applied at home while others require professional help.

Salicylic acid
Cryotherapy
Cantharidin
Bleomycin
Laser Surgery

Salicylic acid

Salicylic acid is a colorless acid and is one of the most effective ways of treating plantar warts. It involves the peeling off of warts, and it usually comes in gel or ointment form, and when applied for a period, warts can be peeled off, but the process takes a longer period usually weeks to completely get rid of warts. This method can be done at home.

Chemical treatments

Chemical treatments like Cantharidin, bleomycin, and Imiquimod are chemicals that are usually applied to warts to kill off the virus and also boost the immune system to fight the virus in case of recurrent experiences.

Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy also is known as freezing is a minor surgical method that involves the use of nitrogen to freeze the area where the wart appears. This can be a painful method, but it is fast as warts usually come off within two weeks after freezing.

Cauterization

Cauterization is also a surgical process that requires professional help and can be effective in the case of frequent warts recurring, but usually leaves off scares after the surgery.

Laser surgery

Laser surgery is usually the highest treatment and also very expensive than the other methods. It involves the use of lasers and needles to get rid of warts, and it can be painful but is considered the last option for warts that could not be cured with another method.

Conclusion

Having a fore knowledge on the symptoms of warts and how to prevent them should the need arise can be an essential tool to help you solve a small problem without having wild thoughts about it or worse, leaving it untreated for a long time as warts can be an embarrassing sight for the eyes and a suspicion of skin diseases.

Not only will these tips help prevent warts, but they can also help prevent other skin infections as well as improve your hygiene. This knowledge can help other people around you to properly check themselves and take care of themselves.