Warts are tiny ,firm bumps on the skin caused by viruses  from the human papillomavirus (HPV) family. They are contagious and commonly found in school aged children. The rarely occur in children younger than 2 years old.

What are the signs of warts

Skin warts are dome shaped with a rough appearance. They are yellow, black, tan or brown in  color. They can appear anywhere on the body  but usually found on the hands and other areas such as near or under the fingernail, toes, face and around the knees.

They can also occur on the soles of the feet where they are flat and painful.  The child may feel like she is walking on a pebble.  This type is referred to as planar warts.  They may have black dots on them which are actually,  tiny clotted blood vessels.

The HPV is spread by close physical contact  and often gets into the body through breaks in the skin. Children who swim in public pools  are at increased risk of developing plantar warts.

When warts occur on the genitals, they are considered  sexually transmitted disease cause by a type HPV. They are spread  during genital, oral or anal sex with a partner who is infected.

How is warts diagnosed ?

Most of them including those that are sexually transmitted are diagnosed by appearance. Genital warts can  also be diagnosed through a biopsy that is sent to the laboratory .

How is warts treated ?

This condition may go away on their  own, however they can be painful when they are bumped. Some young kids  are also embarrassed  by them. Your doctor may suggest that your apply over the counter medication that contain salicylic acid to the warts. You may also use prescription strength chemicals.

If your child’s warts keep coming back or are in multiples, your doctor may recommend removing them surgically by scraping, cauterizing (cutting away the warts), or freezing them (with liquid nitrogen). Surgery usually has a good success rate however it sometimes leaves scars.

If your  teenage daughter has genital warts, it’s important that she  has a pap smear done  to make sure there are no changes to the cervix walls. There is a link between genital warts and cervical cancer. Warts in the airways are usually difficult to treat and referred to a specialist.