Warts

Preventing warts and verrucas

Source: NHS

In this topic (6)

It's difficult to prevent warts and verrucas completely, but the following measures can help stop them spreading:

  • avoidtouching other people's warts wash your hands after touching your own wart
  • avoid sharing towels, flannels, shoes and sockswith other people
  • keep your feet and hands clean and dry
  • change your socks every day
  • don't go barefoot in public places
  • coverwartsand verrucas with a waterproof plaster or averruca sock when swimming
  • avoid scratching or picking atwarts or verrucas this may spread the infection to other parts of your body
  • take care when shaving because warts can spread if you cut yourself

Articles for Warts

Causes of warts and verrucas

Warts are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV) . This causes an excess ofa substance called keratin to developin the toplayer of skin, resulting ina hard, rough lump. Warts don't spread easily,

Introduction

Find out what warts and verrucas are, including what they look like and how you can get rid of them.

Preventing warts and verrucas

It's difficult to prevent warts and verrucas completely, but the following measures can help stop them spreading: avoidtouching other people's warts wash your hands after touching your own wart avo

Treatments for warts and verrucas

Most warts and verrucas will eventually clear up without treatment. They can be removed with over-the-counter treatments, but these can be time consuming, painful and don't always work. Pharmacy tre

What warts and verrucas look like

Warts and verrucas come in all shapes and sizes. They can affect any part of the body, but are more common on the hands and feet. Warts : tendto be round or oval-shaped(although some are long an

When to see your GP

See your GP for advice if: you're not sure whether a lump is a wart your GP can usually identify a wart by looking at it pharmacy treatments haven't worked you have a wart on your face don't treat