THE 6 MAIN TYPES OF WARTS - GEOGRAFÍA - 2024

The main types of warts are common, plantar, water, flat, genital, and filiform. Warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), but they are of the cutaneous type. It is a germ that is spread by skin contact or by contact with contaminated surfaces.

Warts are small irregular growths that appear on the epidermis, which can be referred to as a deformation or tumor.

Warts can appear in different places on the body, from the face, hands, and feet to the armpits, anus, and genitals. These lesions can come in different shapes and sizes.

They can be itchy or painful, although in most cases they are painless. The main problem is that they are unsightly, especially if they appear in visible areas of the body such as the face and hands. On the other hand, while common warts are benign, some of them carry a higher risk of cancer.

Warts can also appear naturally and although they can be acquired at any stage of life, it is in childhood when they occur most frequently. This is because at that time when the body is most susceptible to acquiring bacteria.

Like all germs, the HPV that causes warts likes warm, moist places. Therefore, once it has found a place with these characteristics such as a small cut or scratch, it begins to develop.

One of the problems with warts is that they are slow to grow. They can do this for several months before they are large enough to be visible. This makes it difficult to know where the virus was contacted.

Classification of warts

Warts come in different varieties. But they are usually classified depending on the area of ​​the body where they appear. These are the best known:

Common warts

This is the type of wart most diagnosed by dermatologists. These are growths that have a hard core of skin, with a rough surface. These warts can come in various shapes: round, flat, prominent, or irregularly shaped. This highlighted skin looks like a corn and can be the size of a pea. And its color can vary between gray, brown or white.

Common warts are painless, but people may feel a bit tender around them. They may also have small black dots. These types of lumps usually grow around the fingers, on the back of the hands, around the nails, on the knees, legs, arms, elbows and even on the face.

Plantar warts

These warts are also one of the most common. This type of injury is located on the feet, especially on the sole. Plantar warts affect between 7 and 10% of the population. And children and adolescents are the main affected. There are two types: mirmecia and superficial.

The first is the most frequent and is related to the HPV1 type. They are deep, pressure-sensitive warts, causing difficulties in walking or running and can be very painful if left untreated. The second is related to the HPV2 type. It is a set of warts that look like calluses that are not painful. They also usually appear on the toes.

Plantar warts can appear soft and rough or scaly, as well as spongy. Its color is usually brown or gray. Its transmission occurs, in general, in places where many people tend to attend, such as on the wet surfaces of swimming pools, in public showers, in sports activities centers or even on the beach. This virus needs a gateway, so transmission usually occurs through a skin lesion on the foot such as a cut, scratch or blister.

Water warts

This type of wart is caused by the mollusca virus. They are solid, blister-like bumps. They have a white or transparent pigmentation and have a dense whitish liquid that is highly contagious. They can appear on the hands, arms, feet, and even the face. And they usually appear in the form of clusters.

This type is very common in children, although it can also appear in adults. Their size can be from two to five millimeters and they usually have a small hole in the middle. To avoid the spread of this wart, it is best to avoid the practice of certain sports such as gymnastics, wrestling and swimming if you have an injury. It is also recommended to avoid sharing items such as cloths, towels, clothing, and other personal items.

Flat warts

These warts are, as the name implies, flat. They are small soft lumps a few millimeters in size. They are smooth and their color is usually the same as skin or brown. Like most warts, they are caused by one of the many strains of the human papillomavirus. They are also benign, but some of them can cause itching and pain.

The problem with these warts is that they tend to grow in large numbers. Therefore, they are classified in three ways. As a mild infection, when the infected person has less than ten flat warts and they are painless.

It is a moderate infection when it comes to an amount that ranges from ten to one hundred warts and they are still painless. And it is considered a serious infection when the person in question has more than a hundred warts and when they are painful.

Flat warts can appear anywhere on the body. However, in children they are usually common on the face. In adults it is different. In the case of men, they usually appear in the beard area and in women on the legs.

These types of lesions are contagious, which means that they can be transmitted from one person to another by direct skin contact. Its gestation period of a few months from the moment of infection until the appearance of the first warts.

Genital warts

These are one of the most serious warts, because they are located in sensitive areas of the body such as the anus, vulva, vagina, cervix, penis, scrotum and urethra. They can also appear in the mouth, on the lips, on the tongue, and in the throat.

It is considered a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and is spread through sexual intercourse or even product sharing. It is for this reason that they usually appear in adults, especially those who are very sexually active.

These types of warts have a shape similar to that of a cauliflower and have a trunk that protrudes above the skin. They are caused by types 6 and 11 of the human papillomavirus. These types of warts are the ones that generally have an incidence in the risk of suffering from cervical cancer, cervical, vaginal or vulvar cancer, as well as anal cancer, throat or mouth.

Genital warts often look like flesh-colored spots and these can be raised or flat. Unlike other types of warts, these cannot be treated topically or at home. Its treatment and elimination must be carried out by a specialist doctor. These warts are usually painful.

Filiform warts

These types of warts are hyperkeratotic lesions. They are usually small in size, small in diameter and elongated. And they can also manifest in a single or multiple way and be distributed in an irregular and grouped way.

They usually appear in children, although it is not exclusive to the early stages. The areas where they usually appear are on the face, lips, nose, eyelids, chin and even the neck.

Filiform warts grow quickly and are caused by a viral infection. For this reason they are contagious, even within the same body. They can sometimes be itchy, leading to irritation. In some cases they can even bleed.

Treatment for warts

Depending on the type of wart, its size and location, there may be different treatments. However, in the case of common warts (which affect the most people), some treatments can be applied for a period of 2 to 12 weeks.

Home treatments include salicylic acid and duct tape. Both options help dry and remove the wart. In the case of acid, it must be applied carefully to place it only on the affected area and not on healthy skin. And in the case of the tape, it must be placed for about six or seven days.

Other treatments include cantharidin, which burns the wart, but must be administered by the doctor. Liquid nitrogen can also be used, which freezes the wart to help it fall off. There are also some injections to treat warts. Their job is to help fight the virus causing the injury.

Flat warts usually go away on their own. However, there are cases in which this does not happen, so it is necessary to apply a treatment that can be topically applied medications such as ointments, lotions or creams. Other treatments for the other types of warts may include laser therapy, phototherapy, or even surgery to remove the wart.