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Asked by derm1tad on 23 Feb 2024.
Question: what is warts
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Erin Pallott answered on 23 Feb 2024:
Warts are growths that often show up on the hands and feet, and some types grow on the face and genitals. They’re caused by infections with specific types of viruses, and they can be passed between people. You’ve probably heard that verrucas/warts are commonly passed in places like swimming pools, with lots of people walking barefoot in warm damp areas.
They’re usually not very serious and can be treated. The HPV vaccine has helped greatly reduce the number of cases of genital warts, as it’s caused by the same family of viruses that often cause cervical cancer!
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Angela Short answered on 23 Feb 2024:
Warts are small lumps on your skin. They are caused by viruses that you can catch from other people. Most of the time, warts will go away on their own.
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Michael Schubert answered on 24 Apr 2024:
Erin has given you pretty much the whole answer here! The virus that causes them, human papillomavirus (HPV), sounds pretty scary, but fortunately we now have vaccines that can protect us against it. Warts themselves are most common on hands, feet, and knees, but can appear anywhere you have skin! Like Angela said, they usually go away on their own, but if they don’t, there are lots of ways to remove them without too much trouble.
Comments
Paul commented on :
Warts are areas of skin that grow and form a painless lump – usually caused by a harmless virus. They can usually be treated by freezing them, antiviral creams or (NOT recommended) ripping them out yourself.. Don’t do the last one: It hurts.. a LOT!
Kirsty R commented on :
Warts are skin cells that have been infected by a virus which makes them multiply into a lump. This can be flat, rounded, or look like a bunch of teeny tiny grapes. They can be frozen off or treated with acids or antiviral creams. If they are on your foot they can become compressed and are called verrucas.