Note: Verruca = wart on foot (plantar)
Symptoms
- Raised lesions with rough surface
- Black dots
- Naturally go within 6 months to 2 years
Causes
- Caused by the virus – human papillomavirus (HPV)
- It enters skin through small cracks and causes skin changes
How it is spread
- Direct person contact (skin-to-skin)
- Contaminated surfaces – especially wet public places such as showers and swimming pool areas.
- Can spread to a different part of your body if you touch the wart and touch somewhere else.
REFER TO DOCTOR IF:
- Facial warts
- Genital warts
- Warts on any other area of the body other than hands or feet.
- Immunocompromised
- Diabetic
- Bleeding
- Itching
- Change in size, colour or shape – possible cancer of skin
- No significant improvement within 3 months of OTC treatment
Treatment
- Salicylic acid – destroys infected skin
- Lactic acid – increases salicylic acid availability
- Glutaraldehyde
Counselling:
- Soak affected area for 5-10 minutes with WARM water BEFORE application of product – improve effectiveness of products
- Use pumice stone (bathroom stone) to remove dead skin
- Avoid contact with skin infected area as infection can spread
- Minimise or avoid being barefoot in public places, especially changing room showers
OTC:
- Cryotherapy – can remove wart within 10 days – limited evidence – BAZUKA
- Duct tape – comparable to cryotherapy in effectiveness
BAZUKA 12% Salicylic acid:
BAZUKA HIGH STRENGTH (26% Salicylic acid)
Note: Bazuka is for hands and feet only.
SOURCES
Shobz Pharmacy 