Wart

As if by magic, they appear all of a sudden, and usually they disappear all by themselves after some time – we are talking about warts. Especially in the summer when walking barefoot in swimming pools, you get plantar warts on the soles of your feet all too quickly. Prevention with bathing sandals does not always help. The dermatologist and one or the other natural remedy help.

Warts: not always harmless

What you need above all is patience, because warts are mostly harmless skin lesions that almost always disappear by themselves after some time without treatment, except for the painful plantar warts. Warts, of which 66 types are known, are caused by a contagious virus, the HPV (Human Papilloma Virus). It exists virtually everywhere in the world and most people are affected by warts at some point, often just when their defenses are down. Normally, warts are harmless – with one exception: condylomata, which settle in mucous membranes in the genital area, are suspected of even causing cancer.

Plantar warts grow inward

Normally warts do not cause any pain, only the plantar warts – nomen est omen – hurt, because they arise on the soles of the feet and grow inward. They can be recognized by a thick callus, interspersed with red and black dots. Plantar warts multiply over a large area on the foot. Wart viruses penetrate the smallest skin lesions and prefer moist, softened skin, which is unavoidable when swimming or in the sauna. They spread when they are accidentally scratched open or when you try to remove them yourself. This should be left to the dermatologist.

Why do warts develop?

Warts have less to do with hygiene than with a weakened immune system. Our body’s susceptibility to warts can be triggered by, among other things:

  • mental stress
  • excessive physical exertion
  • pregnancies, severe surgery
  • certain systemic diseases

However, factors that cause a metabolic disorder or injury to the skin surface, thereby creating favorable conditions for infection and increasing the risk of infection, are also relevant.

Risk of infection in swimming pools and during sports

Infections are at risk not only in swimming pools but also in gymnasiums and locker rooms, saunas, gyms, and hotel rooms, i.e., any place where people occasionally spend time barefoot and where there are many people. The incubation period ranges from four weeks to eight months. Bathing sandals offer some protection, good drying also between the toes as well as clean towels reduce the risk of infection. People who repeatedly suffer from warts should, for example, also cover gym mats or the seats in the sauna with towels they have brought themselves.

Which means help?

As quickly as the annoying corneal growths come, they often disappear again. However, if they remain for a few years, the likelihood of them disappearing without wart remedies decreases. Here are important methods and remedies:

  • Salicylic acid, as it is also contained in corn plasters, or the combination of salicylic acid and lactic acid. However, this method of treatment is quite lengthy, it lasts up to two months and must be carried out consistently.
  • In homeopathy, Thuja tincture is recommended to dab on the wart.
  • Treatment with mono-chloroacetic acid. To do this, a small amount of acid is dabbed on the wart with a spatula and covered with a plaster. After a week, the mono-chloroacetic acid has dissolved the top layer of the wart and the scab is removed together with the plaster. The acid can only ever dissolve the top layer of the wart, so repeat the procedure until the wart is completely gone. If the wart does not disappear, soften the treated wart in a lukewarm salt water bath and then remove the layer treated with the acid solution. Protect the surrounding skin areas of the wart with a grease cream. The secure closure prevents the acid from accidentally leaking or being opened by children.
  • A common method is icing with liquid nitrogen or laser removal.
  • Especially in the case of plantar warts usually helps only surgical treatment, that is, cutting out the wart.

Otherwise, a general strengthening of the defenses is necessary, then the susceptibility to wart viruses decreases.