Warts appear because of a dermatological infection caused by viruses of the human papilloma family. They are not serious, but they can be somewhat cumbersome and annoying, in addition to being very easily, especially among children.
Today we talk about warts in childhood, how they spread, how many types exist and in case of appearance, what can we do to get our children rid of them.
Characteristics of warts
As we said at the beginning, warts are skin infections caused by viruses, in the form of small bulges, well defined, rounded and with a rough surface. Its size is variable, being able to have more than one centimeter in diameter.
Warts they can have different shades: from clear, to yellow, gray, brown or even black. Sometimes it is also common to see a dark dot inside. They are capillaries that can bleed if the wart is cut or damaged.
Where can warts appear?
Warts they can appear on any part of the body, although it is more frequent that the virus that causes them invades places of the skin that are moistened, such as the soles of the feet, or areas with scratches such as the knees or the hands (for example, in children who bite their nails or stepfathers start).
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The papillomavirus is contagious, so warts could spread simply by coming into contact with an infected surface (floors, showers, objects ...) or directly touching this skin condition.
But in addition, there is a greater risk of infection in these situations:
Age is a very important factor, since warts tend to spread more easily among children than among adults.
A less potent immune system (like that of children) also increases the risk of infection.
Previous and recurring warts, as well as other lesions or wounds on the skin favors the spread of this virus.
There's also genetic factors They contribute to the spread of warts.
Types of warts
Plantar warts or papillomas: are those that they appear on the soles of the feet and whose appearance is similar to calluses. They usually heal spontaneously, although sometimes they can cause pain and this will cause the doctor to prescribe a treatment for their elimination.
Vulgar warts: They are usually located on the hands, knees and elbows. They look like a cauliflower head with small, hard lumps with black dots inside. They do not usually hurt unless they are located around or under the nails.
Flat warts: They are small, flat and light colors like pink, yellow or brown. Sometimes they meet in small groups, especially in the face. They are not painful.
Filiform warts: This type of warts has an elongated shape and usually appear on the face, especially near the nose, mouth and eyes.
Genital warts: in adults, this type of warts comes out as a result of a sexually transmitted disease, but in children the most common is that they appear by contagion through the hands, towels or other objects, or even at the time of delivery.
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most of warts tend to disappear spontaneously in the course of one to two years, so depending on the area in which they are and if they are not bothersome for the child, the pediatrician could assess an expectant behavior.
In Babies and more Atopic dermatitis: all the keys to get to know this skin disease betterBut on other occasions intervention is advised through an individualized treatment, although bearing in mind that these are not always effective and do not guarantee that the wart does not reappear once it has been removed. From the AEPap they talk about the following methods:
Products based on acetylsalicylic acid
The application of these drugs following the doctor's instructions, leads to desquamation and subsequent detachment of the wart. The positive part of this type of treatments is that they can be applied from home, although the results are usually very slow and take weeks or even months.
Surgical techniques
There may be other warts that, due to their size, recurrence, location or resistance to other treatments, need surgical techniques to eliminate them. In this case, the most used by doctors are:
Cryotherapy: It consists of the application of a liquid that cools at very low temperatures and when touched the wart freezes it and removes it. It is a very annoying technique, so its use should be valued by the doctor and the family.
Curettage: It is a superficial scraping done by the pediatrician in consultation with the help of a sharp ring or "spoon." It is usually done after applying a local anesthetic cream, so that the child will feel virtually nothing.
Electrocoagulation: destruction of the wart by infrared.
Squeeze the injury The wart is removed by tweezers and then an antiseptic is applied.
In any case, if the child presents warts in the area of the face or genitals, as well as especially painful lesions, the pediatrician may prefer to refer the case to a dermatologist for evaluation.
Can we prevent its appearance?
The moist areas of the skin, as well as the scratches and wounds are especially vulnerable to the penetration of the human papillomavirus that causes warts, so we must be careful in these cases.
In addition, there are other tips that we can follow to prevent contagion:
Do not walk barefoot in public places like swimming pools, gyms or changing rooms. In these cases it is essential to use flip flops.
Teach the child to Do not share your towels, shoes or flip flops with other classmates.
Ensure that the child's foot is always dry. To do this, we must use the correct footwear to help the foot perspire, and dry it very well after showering or bathing.
If our child has warts, we must teach do not touch or scratch themWell, if they bleed increase the chances of infection. In addition, if you touch the warts you have to wash your hands very well afterwards.
If we have to cure a wart it is important to wash our hands afterwards and not share the objects used during home treatment for disposal, such as limes or pumice stone used for peeling.
Photos | iStock, Pixabay
